How to make the most out of family dinner

Tim Wheeler, Dad & Coach, shares advice for parents on how nightly dinners can be very helpful in getting your child to talk and share with you
Family Meals | How To Make The Most Out Of Family Dinners
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How to make the most out of family dinner

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Getting your child to talk and share with you is one of the major challenges of parenting. And it is an essential part of parenting. Again, it is something I really think you need to start at a young age. We chose dinner time as our conversational time and despite the demands of my work, we always tried to eat every meal as a family unit. And we chose dinner time as the time where everyone would talk about what had happened in their day. It is one thing to get a five year old to talk about what happened during their day. It is a whole different world getting a 15 year old to talk about what happened during their day. But you have to prod politely, ask about activities, ask about friends, ask about interests, ask about things that are important to them. If it is how they are doing in a video game to their favorite sports team, it does not matter. But it has to be things they want to talk about. And if you start there, the conversation will slowly work towards things that you really as a parent are interested in. And it takes patience. It takes perseverance. And you have to do it in a kind, compassionate manner. Yelling and screaming, complaining that they are not talking to you is not going to get you where you want to go with your child.

Tim Wheeler, Dad & Coach, shares advice for parents on how nightly dinners can be very helpful in getting your child to talk and share with you

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Tim Wheeler

Dad and Coach

Timothy J. Wheeler, the managing partner of the law firm Greene, Broillet & Wheeler LLP.  He has extensive trial experience in a variety of areas including product liability, general negligence and auto product liability. Tim was named the Lawyer of the Year in Product Liability by Best Lawyers in America for 2013. He was a three-time finalist for the prestigious Trial Lawyer of the Year Award, presented by the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), for his outstanding trial record and involvement and commitment to consumer rights. Tim is a graduate of Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, CA (J.D., 1978), Tim attended Santa Clara University (BS, cum laude, Political Science, 1975), and was a recipient of the Jesuit Scholarship. While at Loyola High School, Tim's excellence in all areas of student life was recognized by the faculty, which bestowed upon him The Loyola Award. Tim and his wife Nancy reside in Manhattan Beach,  have been married for 37 years and have four adult children, Matt, Tim, Danny, and Mary and two grandchildren, Lily and Grace. 

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Transcription: 
Getting your child to talk and share with you is one of the major challenges of parenting. And it is an essential part of parenting. Again, it is something I really think you need to start at a young age. We chose dinner time as our conversational time and despite the demands of my work, we always tried to eat every meal as a family unit. And we chose dinner time as the time where everyone would talk about what had happened in their day. It is one thing to get a five year old to talk about what happened during their day. It is a whole different world getting a 15 year old to talk about what happened during their day. But you have to prod politely, ask about activities, ask about friends, ask about interests, ask about things that are important to them. If it is how they are doing in a video game to their favorite sports team, it does not matter. But it has to be things they want to talk about. And if you start there, the conversation will slowly work towards things that you really as a parent are interested in. And it takes patience. It takes perseverance. And you have to do it in a kind, compassionate manner. Yelling and screaming, complaining that they are not talking to you is not going to get you where you want to go with your child.