Make dinner center of your Family Day

I’ve never done this before, but for a change, it’s my turn to ask you, the readers, the question: “What is your family doing for dinner on Sept. 27?” For the last month I’ve focused on “Family Day: A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children,” hoping to inspire you to set a new family goal, beginning the last Monday in September. What your kids really want at the dinner table is you — are you making it a priority? Just like with any change, start out small and build on a good thing. Let’s start on Family Day!

  • l The USD 497 Coordinated School Health Council is supporting this family celebration by sending school principals “quick and easy” recipe cards about the day to pass on to families in their school newsletters and/or websites. You can also go on our website at www.douglas.ksu.edu for the recipes.
  • l LiveWell Lawrence is hosting a “Tell Your Story” contest on www.wellcommons.com. Starting the day after, Sept. 28, families can go on the website and share how they celebrated “Family Day: A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children.” The winning entries will be awarded grocery store gift cards. Go to the LiveWell Lawrence Group on the WellCommons website for more details. Also, this is a great place to blog about “Memories of Family Meals” from days gone by.
  • l Since “Kickin’ It With WIC Activity Day” at the Lawrence Community Health Facility, 200 Maine, is the same day as Family Day, WIC (Women, Infant and Children Program) is captivating the message by highlighting it during their fun day. Also, our Extension family nutrition education program assistants, Connie Detweiler and Carrie Mershon, will offer nutrition education in several schools during the next two weeks.
  • l The Douglas County Farm Bureau Women have been encouraging several restaurants in the county to offer “special deals” for families who come in on Family Day to dine.

These are just a few of the Family Day activities that I am aware of — are you planning your own? Tell us on WellCommons.

If you’re looking for ways to engage in conversations with your kids, try some of these conversation starters to get everyone talking:

l Where would you go for a dream vacation?

l If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

l What is one thing you could absolutely not live without?

l If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?

l If you could live in any time period, which one would it be?

l What book are you reading right now? What do you like about it? What do you dislike about it?

l If you could trade lives with anyone, who would it be?

Do you have tots? Here’s some ideas for them too:

l What is the nicest thing you did for someone today? What is the nicest thing that someone did for you?

l What foods on the table are crunchy? What foods are chewy? What foods are sweet? What foods are spicy?

l What is one of your favorite colors? Do you see anything on the table that is that color?