Communications with Our Boys

My siblings and I grew up eating lunch and dinner on own at separate times. We do not have a habit of eating together. When we first married, my wife always insist on waiting for me to eat dinner together. I do not wait for her if she is late. Many a time, I get frustrated and upset with her for not eating first even when she is starving and I am busy at work. Over time, I have been trained by her to discard my old habit. Today, we always have dinner together and we will wait for our boys if they are going to come home late for dinner.

Dinner time means no tv or phone or games. When the rules are simple and clear, it worked. We will linger after dinner and I usually cut fruits for desserts. This is conversation time. Our boys will update on their activities. We also talk about other family matters and school. I am beginning to see the power of having dinner together. It is communication process and time for us to connect together as a family. We also talk about what to do if we become senile and need them to care for us. We talk about what not to do among brothers. I find it very enriching that we can pass on our values and teach them how to handle difficult situations involving their parents, us.