table talk Archives - MamaBear App

November 18, 2016

Thanksgiving Table Talk: Expressing Gratitude DIY

Sitting around the Thanksgiving dinner table is the perfect time to ask open-ended questions that can help your children practice gratitude. Answering the basic question, “What are you thankful for?” might be hard for kids at first. Creating a conversation jar can be a fun way to break the ice. These questions make it easy for kids to identify and discover the things and people they really appreciate. In turn, a conversation jar also gives you the chance to inspire by example and express your own gratitude.

Use these questions as an example or write your own.

Who was the best teacher you ever had?
What is the best part of being a part of our family?
What is one of your favorite memories from a family vacation?
What is one thing you couldn’t live without?
What is your favorite thing to do on the weekend or after school?
What’s your favorite thing to do with your grandparents, aunts or uncles?
What is something someone did to help you today?
What’s your favorite thing about dinner tonight?
What is your favorite part about living in our town?
Who is your best friend in school? Why?
What book is your favorite to read before bed?
Who is the most generous person you know? Why?

Creating a conversation jar is a fun DIY to craft with your family. Turn these questions into conversations. When your child responds, make sure to point out how lucky they are to have those experiences, items and family members. Point out that not everyone in the world has access those things.

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to get kids to talk about what they are thankful for, and help them acknowledge and cultivate a feeling of gratitude and gratefulness.

CREATE YOUR GRATITUDE CONVERSATION JAR

Supplies:

Glass Jar
Wooden Sticks
Sharpies
Ribbon
Burlap
Super Glue or Hot Glue
Scissors
#TableTalk printable
Puffy Paint (optional)

Step 1:

Cut a 4” wide piece of burlap to wrap around the jar.

Use a hot glue gun or super glue to attach the burlap to the jar.

Cut a 2” wide piece of ribbon to wrap over the burlap. Glue to fasten.

Step 2:

Print out the tabletalks-printable.

Cut out and glue to center of the jar.

Or use puffy paint and markers to decorate ribbon.

Step 3:

Write your “Gratitude” questions onto the wooden sticks with a marker.

Step 4:

Insert sticks into jar, and enjoy engaging Thanksgiving conversation starters with your family!

November 23, 2015November 23, 2015

Table Talk Topic: Expressing Gratitude

Thanksgiving is a time that reminds us to express our gratitude and be more thankful, but throughout the year parents have an opportunity to bring that type of gratitude to the dinner table.

We don’t need to ask “What are you thankful for today?” in order to prompt conversations about gratitude with our families. There are many ways to bring more appreciation to the dinner table, and talking about being thankful might be more important than you think.

It’s Never Too Early to Start Being Thankful

Parents.com reports that children as young as 15 to 18 months can start to understand the concepts of gratitude. Barbara Lewis, author of What Do You Stand For? For Kids, explains that around the age of two or three, children can start to verbally acknowledge their gratitude for things in their life like people, pets and toys. And by age four, they are able to grasp the concept of being grateful for abstract items like love and kindness.

Since children are aware of gratitude at such a young age, it’s important to cultivate it early on and continue the process as they grow.

The Benefits of Being Thankful

Living a more grateful life can benefit your child throughout their lifetime. Those who practice gratitude feel less entitled and disappointed. They are more likely to be positive and find more satisfaction in their lives. All of which can affect mind and body. WebMD reports that practicing gratitude can decrease stress, boost the immune system, and encourage a healthier lifestyle.

Questions That Encourage Gratitude

Sitting around the dinner table is the perfect time to ask open-ended questions that can help your children practice gratitude. Because answering the basic question, “What are you thankful for?” might be hard for kids at first. These questions make it easy for them to identify and discover things they really appreciate and give you a chance to express your gratitude.

Who was the best teacher you ever had?
What is the best part of being a part of our family?
What is one of your favorite memories from a family vacation?
What is one thing you couldn’t live without?
What is your favorite thing to do on the weekend or after school?
What’s your favorite thing to do with your grandparents, aunts or uncles? Whom do you feel closest?
What is something someone did to help you today?
What’s your favorite thing about dinner tonight?
What is your favorite part about living in our town?
Who is your best friend in school? Why?
What book is your favorite to read before bed?

Turn these questions into conversations. When your child responds, make sure to point out how lucky they are to have those experiences, items and family members. Point out that not everyone in the world has access those things.

This is a good way to get kids to see how much they really have to be thankful for, and help them acknowledge and cultivate a feeling of gratitude and gratefulness.

Show Your Gratitude

Children mirror the image of their parents, so be sure that you are practicing gratitude in your own life, especially when interacting with your kids. Share answers to the same questions.

Be sure to say “thank you” to them regularly even for small moments and events. (“Thank you for eating all your vegetables. Thank you for helping me clear the table. It made dinner easier and more enjoyable.” )

And most of all, remind them how grateful you are to be their parents.

Talking around the dinner table is a great way to build a deeper connection with your child. Maintain that connection inside and outside of the house by using MamaBear Family Safety App, which offers easy check-in features that can keep you and your kids connected anywhere, anytime. App is available for iPhone and Andriod devices.

June 26, 2015

Table Talk: A Survival Guide for Single Fathers Raising Daughters

To help dads who are doing it on their own, we have compiled a few discussion tips that dads can use while talking to their daughters.

Raising daughters is difficult. As girls grow, they are forced to deal with complex emotions, physical changes, and social situations. As a parent, you are right there beside them dealing with the same complicated challenges.

But it’s even harder to navigate with those situations while raising a daughter on your own — especially when you are a single dad.

Single fathers raising daughters face a unique challenge. They have to play both sides and fill the role of both mom and dad.

To help dads who are doing it on their own, we have compiled a few discussion tips that dads can use while talking to their daughters.

1. Compliment her on her accomplishments and character as much as her beauty.

Dads may think that the fastest way to improve their daughter’s self-esteem is to shower her with compliments about how she looks. But positive reinforcement shouldn’t stop at beauty.

Dads need to complement their daughter’s imagination, strengths, and intelligence as much, if not more than, her physical appearance. It’s more important to show girls that they are more than just a pretty face. The self-esteem and deeper character that this kind of reinforcement builds will serve her better in life.

2. Ask questions about her interests, hobbies, and friends.

As a dad, talking about Justin Bieber, Frozen, or the latest fad in nail polish may not be the ideal way to spend your dinner conversation. But if something interests your daughter, it should always interest you.

Get to know what goes on in your daughter’s world by asking her questions about her interests, hobbies, and friends. These are things she would likely share with her mom so make sure she has no problem sharing them with you instead. And don’t, under any circumstances, belittle her thoughts or dismiss her interests. Daughters respect their fathers and your interest, advice and support means the world to her.

3. Talk about successful, powerful woman.

If your daughter doesn’t have a positive female role model in her life, make sure that you expose her to some.

Tell her stories about inspirational women that are leading their industry, creating change, or making waves in a male-dominated field.

Make sure that she is aware of these stories and sees you support these women, and that you encourage her that she could do the same.

4. Teach her about respect and how it relates to sex.

A father’s natural instinct may be to discuss sex and boys from a negative standpoint. They want to tell their daughters that both are scary and dangerous. But dads need to talk about sex and relationships in a healthy way.

Don’t teach your daughter to fear sex and boys. Instead, teach her to respect her body and demand the same respect in relationships so she can make safe, healthy decisions when it comes to boys and sex.

5. Look her in the eyes and show her you are paying attention.

Kids crave their parent’s attention. So make sure you give your daughter the attention she deserves by ignoring other distractions (like after hours work, phones, tv, etc.) and having one-on-one conversations where you look her in the eyes and show her you are there to listen.

Mom or dad, being a single parent is a challenge. You may sometimes feel like you are half the team playing the whole parenting game, but you are still the biggest and most important person in her life. And for those times it may seem a bit overwhelming, help is out there. Seek out information, parenting groups, friends and other support to give you the confidence that you are doing the right things.

MamaBear, the app for Peace of Mind Parenting™ can help parents struggling to keep up with their children in a face-paced world. The app includes tools for monitoring social media, GPS locations of your children, and even safe driving speed monitoring. Parents have a big job, but that job is a littler easier with this free app available for both iPhones and Androids.

February 26, 2015February 26, 2015

Table Talk Topic: Helping Your Teen Avoid Risky Online Behavior

Stopping your child from engaging in risky online behavior may start with one thing — a good dinner table discussion.

A recent study by Prof. Gustavo Mesch, a doctoral student in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Haifa, found that adolescents were less likely to engage in risky online behavior when they had a strong emotional bond with their family.

Children who have open and frequent discussions with their parents about their online behavior tend to participate in less risky behavior. On the other hand, adolescents were more likely to engage in risky behaviors when their parents simply monitored their behavior behind their back without including the children in educational and behavioral discussions about their online life.

The study, which included 495 children aged 10-18, confirms that having an open dialog with your kids may be the best way to proactively protect them. So use your time at the dinner table as an opportunity to discuss online dangers and safety habits with your child.

What To Do

Review risky behaviors and dangers.

Kids may not know what online behavior is acceptable, so review what actions are risky. Consider sharing stats and stories that show how dangerous the internet can be, and make sure your children know it is unacceptable to:

Add strangers to their follower lists
Interact with strangers
Disclose personal information on public forums and to strangers (i.e. full name, address, phone number, banking information, school name, when family will be away from the house, etc.)
- 50% of teenagers have a public profile that is viewable by anyone on the internet
Agree to meet friends only known online in person

Ask about how their friends act online.

Mesch’s study found that kids were more likely to engage in risky online behavior when they thought their friends would approve of it. Adolescents frequently mimic the behaviors of their peers so discuss what your child and their friends are doing and seeing online.

Instill trust.

Researchers reported that “… families that knew how to establish a relationship of trust among family members reduced risky behavior.” So, throughout your conversations with your child, remind them that you trust their judgment and believe they will make the right decisions.

Pay attention to the boys just as much as the girls.

According to the study, parents were more likely be concerned about their daughters than their sons when it came to online safety. But the study found that boys are actually more likely to engage in risky behavior online. Give equal attention to boys and girls when dealing with the subject.

Related: Parents Can’t Afford to Ignore Their Kids’ Social Media

What NOT To Do

Give a lecture.

It’s important to have a dialog that has two sides. The goal of your conversation should be for both parties to share and learn. Children learn about online risks and how to protect themselves. Parents learn about how their children and their peers act online. Most importantly parents should ask questions and allow their children to ask questions of them during this discussion.

Make accusations and assumptions.

Avoid accusing your child of behaving badly online if you have been checking their online activity. It will only push them toward bad behavior because they will think you don’t understand or trust them.

Don’t sneak behind their back.

Having an open conversation eliminates the need for you to sneak behind your child’s back in order to monitor their online behavior. During your discussion, explain to your child that as parents, it is your responsibility to be involved in their online activity and safety.

Be up-front about your plan to get involved by using a non-spyware family safety tool that is intended to protect, not infiltrate. By having an open discussion and explaining your motives, your child will be more receptive and understanding of why you need to connect with them in their online lives.

Review the features and download MamaBear, The Ultimate Parenting App™ app to both of your devices to show them how you can work together to protect and connect your family and create a safer online environment. The Mama Bear app is available for both iPhone or Android devices.

Tag: table talk