The old picture of eating dinner around the table has nearly died and been replaced by the television. Eating dinner while watching TV is easier that conjuring up dinner time conversation, especially with teenaged children. But just because family dinners around the table have nearly disappeared that does not have to lead to the extinction of talking to your children. Instead of formal table talk at the dining table, how about relaxed table talk around the coffee table?

Families are spending more time around the coffee table in the living room, which is usually a less formal setting and may therefore be more conducive to talking. Your children may be more willing to open up and start talking in between commercials. The distraction may make them feel calmer; and so when something serious come up you are already comfortable seated in the living room and all you need do is turn off the TV.

If you do long for something like the dining together tradition of old, you can always institute a new tradition more suited for the living room. After dinner dessert while everyone is cozy on the couch is a good place to start. You can establish a rule that dessert time is talking time and turn off the TV while everyone eats dessert. People are comfortable on the couch with feet up on the coffee table and dessert in their laps, a perfect setting.

Another idea is a reading time. This can be gauged to suit both younger and older children. Talking is important but if you are having a hard time getting the ball rolling, reading out loud is a good substitute. At the end of the night everyone could come to the living room set their snacks on the coffee table and settle into the couch for a story. The family could read anything and each member who knows how could read. Although reading together may sound corny, it is a start on improving the time your family spends together.