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Dr. Kenney provides advice to have a positive, relaxing dinner with the family.
Dr. Kenney:
You know, after establishing a family meal-time routine, the most important thing to do is focus on the positive. This is the mistake the families make. Many times when you gather for your meal that’s the one time that you are always together, and then if something’s gone wrong in the day, that’s where the parents talk about it with the child. I would suggest not doing that ever.
Your family meal-time needs to be a time when you come together to nourish one another. That means body, mind and soul. So talk about what’s positive, even if your child got suspended from school that day, I mean it, don’t bring it up. That’s not the place to talk about it.
The place to talk about it is actually in a family meeting which will take place at another time in another space. The dinner table is your sanctified place. It’s the place you come together to grow as people, get to know one another more, and explore life’s transitions and options. It’s the place where you ask for advice; you get help; you feel nurtured, safe and loved. So when you come to the dinner table really, stay with the positive. Don’t fall into the negative.
About Dr. Lynne Kenney, Psy.D.:
Lynne Kenney, Psy.D., is a mother of two, a practicing pediatric psychologist in Scottsdale, AZ, and the author of The Family Coach Method (St Lynn’s Press, Sept 2009). She has advanced fellowship training in forensic psychology and developmental pediatric psychology from Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School and Harbor-UCLA/UCLA Medical School. Dr. Kenney is currently a featured expert for Momtastic.com and Parentsask.com.
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