Hi,

Recently many of the conversations with my children have started to sound the same: "How was your day?" "What did you do today?" "What did you have for dinner?" blah blah. After being coached by their Mother, many of the answers inevitably lead to them avoid telling the complete truth because the OM was involved. Yet, they don't always...and the truth smacks us right in the head. This typically leads me to feel bad and generally cut the call short.

So, I'm looking for discussion ideas - places to take the conversations that would be good for us all while decreasing the possibility of everyones discomfort in speaking of OM.

Some topic ideas I have:

* Planning next get together
* Talking about their school friends/playmates
* Reading a book together (is it better if we both have the same book?)
* Pick one item off of a picklist of "good lessons for young minds"

What ideas do you have?

****
Me, BS, 40
X, 41 (EA 2004 to PA 2005; ongoing)
DS 16
DS 8
DD 6
D-Day 12-24-05
X moved out 6-06
D Final 8-15-06

Frankly,

I have found with my daughter the best conversations we have just pop up out of nowhere, unplanned.

I tend to joke around with her a lot, and so does her dad, so this makes everything more enjoyable that we are doing, including dinners, shopping, chores.

I tend to buy movies that she would like and then watch with her, and then of course we talk about the movie.

I talk to her friends when come over, so they hang around more where I am in the house (usually the kitchen or dining room) and I try to have them sit down with me and eat a treat or something I am cooking.

With kids Frankly, you really got to get down on your knees and deal with them on their level. Show interest in their interests and get busy with them doing it.

And listen always for them to start talking to you and jump on each and every opportunity that arrises where you are communicating, joking around, talking serious stuff.

Hope this helps you in some way.