WEBVTT - Second Cup: Spark better dinner conversations

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is to put some thought into sparking better

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<v Speaker 1>dinner table conversations. You may have been eating dinner with

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<v Speaker 1>the same people every night for the past five months now,

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<v Speaker 1>and that's after spending all day with those same people,

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<v Speaker 1>but that doesn't mean the conversation has to be dull.

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<v Speaker 1>Put a little thought into it and it just might

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<v Speaker 1>not be I know that many of us sit down

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<v Speaker 1>to eat with good intentions of connecting, and then we

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<v Speaker 1>wind up asking some version of what did you do today? Unfortunately,

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<v Speaker 1>if you're like a lot of households, nobody had that

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<v Speaker 1>much different happened today versus the day before, so we

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<v Speaker 1>wind up talking about who is eating their broccoli and

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<v Speaker 1>who isn't. So you might try brainstorming some questions that

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<v Speaker 1>will unearth something different, something you may not have talked

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<v Speaker 1>about so much. For instance, here's this question, how do

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<v Speaker 1>you think you'll be different a year from now? A

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<v Speaker 1>smart alec child might remark that she will be eleven

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<v Speaker 1>instead of ten. But this can lead to a discussion

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<v Speaker 1>of the privileges and responsibilities that come with age, and

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<v Speaker 1>maybe you can talk about the character traits you hope

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<v Speaker 1>to gain or the bad habits you'd like to lose.

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<v Speaker 1>By the time your next birthday rolls around, your children

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<v Speaker 1>might have ideas for you in this category interesting to know?

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<v Speaker 1>Or how about what's the skill you'd like to learn?

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<v Speaker 1>A lot of kids activities have been disrupted these days,

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<v Speaker 1>but as you think about what to add back in,

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<v Speaker 1>it's good to know what people actually value, and you

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<v Speaker 1>and your spouse might come up with some skills or

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<v Speaker 1>hobbies you'd enjoy too. What's your favorite thing to do

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<v Speaker 1>on a Saturday afternoon? This question can reveal some interesting

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<v Speaker 1>differences in a family between those who like to be

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<v Speaker 1>out and about and those whose idea of a good

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<v Speaker 1>time is lazing on the cow much It's a good

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<v Speaker 1>reminder that family members do not inherit the same personalities.

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<v Speaker 1>What's something you haven't done in a long time that

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<v Speaker 1>you really miss This can help you plan your vacation

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<v Speaker 1>schedule for or what you'll prioritize as your neighborhood opens

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<v Speaker 1>back up. If you could spend the day with anyone

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<v Speaker 1>in the world, who would you choose? Or there's this

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<v Speaker 1>question when was your proudest moment. This sparks some interesting

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<v Speaker 1>discussion in my extended family when my mother in law

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<v Speaker 1>talked about earning her m b A when she went

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<v Speaker 1>back to school after having four kids. You might be

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<v Speaker 1>surprised at what your family members mentioned. If you're looking

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<v Speaker 1>for more questions, check out story corps Great Questions List,

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<v Speaker 1>or order a set of question cards like those produced

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<v Speaker 1>by Table Topics. You can ask one when there's a

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<v Speaker 1>lull in the conversation, or you can create some more

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<v Speaker 1>structure by making this a ritual. Write interesting questions on

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<v Speaker 1>slips of paper and put them in a jar. Then

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<v Speaker 1>every night pull out a question or two for everyone

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<v Speaker 1>at the table to answer. Or you could put a

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<v Speaker 1>different question at each person's place. Once everyone gets used

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<v Speaker 1>to the routine, others can contribute questions, including kids of

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<v Speaker 1>all ages. You might be surprised about what the kids ask.

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<v Speaker 1>Memories of childhood pets, for instance, or of school experiences.

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<v Speaker 1>All this can deepen relationships and give you something better

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<v Speaker 1>to talk about than who ate how much of the broccoli?

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<v Speaker 1>If you ask a question that sparks a great dinner

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<v Speaker 1>table conversation, I'd love to hear how it goes. You

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<v Speaker 1>can tell me about it at Before Breakfast podcast at

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<v Speaker 1>I heart media dot com. In the meantime, this is Laura.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks for listening and here's to making the most of

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<v Speaker 1>our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you.

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<v Speaker 1>You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else.

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<v Speaker 1>Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at

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<v Speaker 1>Before Breakfast pod that's B the number four, then Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>p o D. You can also shoot me an email

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<v Speaker 1>at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot com.

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<v Speaker 1>That Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.

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<v Speaker 1>Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For

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<v Speaker 1>more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i heart

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