“The most influential of all educational factors is the conversation in a child’s home.” -William Temple
Tea Time Tuesday: I’m pretty sure that somewhere in the “Clarkson’s” background are Hobbits because we have so much in common with them. Eating was a recreation for us.
Second was discussion and debate. In this way, we are related to the Inklings, the group Tolkien and Lewis were in for years, co-mentoring one another through feasting and talking and being friends who sharpened one another’s lives.
The daily habit of eating together while being intentional to talk, discuss, teach, encourage, debate, and share rousing stories was one of the most profound rhythms of our family life. Our children are today, as Temple says, most shaped in their education by the purposefulness of our meals and talk times.
Imagine, even if you just eat together 365 times each year, one meal a day, and start out with prayer of thanks to God, talk about truth, virtue, and take time to encourage, how in a lifetime, it will be over 7000 times that you and your children will practice remembering God as the center of your life together before you eat and during the meal. It will place patterns in our brains with the habit of being grateful to God every day together and cultivating intimate community as a family value.
Last week, I hosted some local friends from my membership and asked them, “What do you wish I would talk about on my podcast in the months ahead? What topics?” How to cultivate discussion at the dinner table was the question I answered today. For even more suggestions, pick up a copy of The Lifegiving Table.
They had so many ideas, questions and suggestions.
Would you please tell me what subjects you would like for me to discuss in the year ahead in the comments?
What have been some of your favorite episodes of my podcast, At Home with Sally?
