Your Family Story
Turn dinnertime into a family bonding experience with fun conversation starters that will help your kids discover your family’s stories.
We all know that dinnertime is important. It’s a time to sit down, relax, and nourish your body after a long day. But most importantly, it’s a time for folks to come together and bond over good food.
For families with kids, this dinnertime bonding experience makes a big impact on how kids view food and healthy eating. Raising #KidsWhoEat well isn’t only about the food you serve. Habit #11 in our 12 Habits for Raising #KidsWhoEat Well was to not make food the center of attention at the dining table. It can simply be the backdrop for creating and reminiscing on memories.
There are so many stories and questions that can be exchanged over the dinner table that don’t have to be limited to the same daily topics. And what better stories to tell than the ones you are most familiar with?
Telling your family’s stories not only passes on your family’s legacy, it also helps with the development of your kids.
Studies have shown that family storytelling provides long term benefits for kids of all ages. They know more about themselves and where they came from. They have a stronger sense of identity, which makes them more confident.
We wrap up our #KidsWhoEat series today with a fun tool that will help you and your children uncover your family’s stories. Below, you’ll find a free printable of 50 Family Dinnertime Questions that you can use to start up great conversations the whole family can enjoy over dinner.
50 Family Story Questions
Print out these cards for your kids to ask during dinnertime for the ultimate family bonding experience!
Tell Your Family's Story
Make dinnertime memorable- fun question cards kids can ask parents!
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If you want to turn some of your family stories into physical books that can be read at bedtime, check out Cuento Books. Steph, a previous Cook Smarts teammate, was inspired to create Cuento Books after she gave birth to her first child last year and wanted him to know his family stories. You upload your story and they provide custom illustrations and ship you the finished book.
The family story that I want to share with my daughter when she gets older is of my paternal grandmother. She lived an incredibly full, interesting, and challenging life, and was the bravest woman I’ve ever known. Even though she’s no longer with us, her story is still very much alive through the generations she’s left behind.
As a kid, her stories enchanted and inspired so much awe in me. As an adult, they’re my source for strength and adventure, and I know my life is more meaningful for having heard these stories.
And because I want my grandmother’s story to live on, here’s the story we created through Cuento Books. I’ve just ordered a copy for each of my cousins so they can share our grandmother’s story with their kids as well.
Even if your family’s stories don’t involve midnight escapes from war, every family story is special and deserves telling.
Thanks for joining for us for our #KidsWhoEat series! In case you missed any of it, here’s a little recap (plus some of our other kid resources):
As always, we work hard to create these resources to make life in the kitchen simpler and smarter, and we’re always creating more tools to help you and your kids lead healthier and happier lives. To get our cooking tips, join our cooking community by signing up for our newsletter below, and together, we will make cooking simple, fun, and delicious.
