Stepfamily Dinners: Games, Strategies and Apps for Great Conversation by Claudette Chenevert
Whenever I think of family dinners, the image of Norman Rockwell’s “Freedom From Want” (which appeared on a 1943 cover of “The Saturday Evening Post” and depicts an animated gathering around a perfectly cooked turkey) I wonder, how can my family look like that?
Is it even possible?
In that painting, Rockwell captured a moment in time—not a lifetime filled with attempts to come together and sit for a meal as a family.
Remember this, as it can help you put this and related topics in their proper context.
My husband, Bernard, and I recently went to a restaurant to have a nice meal. We sat there and started to talk about our day, wondering if anything special had happened to either of us. A few moments after we were seated, a family of five sat down next to us. Within seconds of everyone sitting down, each one of them (mom, dad, two sons and a daughter) pulled out an electronic gadget. There was no eye contact. No smiles. Nothing. They each simply stared at a separate screen.
I’ll admit that I’ve checked my emails or text messages while at a restaurant, but I’ve waited until after I’ve had a chance to sit down, smile at my husband and say “Hi!” to our server.
Communication is at the heart of creating healthy and strong relationships—even more so within stepfamilies. …To read the rest of this article, log in to your account and download the November 2015 issue. Don’t have an account? Click here to subscribe.