Question by Truth Hurts: Question for parents?
My wife left me and has my two youngest children. (I’ve been through all the legal maneuvering…this question isn’t about that).
I made a promise they would hear their father’s voice every night. So I call every night.
I tell them I love them, ask them about their day… But they’re 12 and 7, and after months of this, it seems we run out of things to talk about.
It sounds sad to say, “I don’t know what to talk to my children about, so help me…”, but unless you’ve been in my place….
I’m wondering if any fellow parents have any ideas about anything creative I could begin to converse with them about regularly. I thought about articles, current events or things they’d be interested in….
Part of the problem is I’m still reeling from the loss of my family unit, now smashed and broken in pieces. I can’t even look at a family picture without seeing brokenness.
I need to be up and encouraging to my children. Any ideas–and prayers–you could offer up would be awesome.
Thanks and God bless.
Best answer:
Answer by awkwardly balanced
Ask all about them – treat them like the princesses and princes that they really are. Get excited about everything they tell you then ask follow up questions on the following nights. If you are distracted easily, start taking notes. They have GOT to know they are number 1!
Add your own answer in the comments!
Prayers i can do for you easily. I would just ask them about their days, first off, and if it does not run smoothly after that, it is ok to just say “hey i was just calling to say good night and i love you” i don’t think it is necessary to have drawn out conversation every night just you calling them everyday is awesome.
I have seen some cards that are called “Family Talk” or “Supper Talks” they are meant to be used every day at supper time with the family to get the family talking. So maybe that would work out with you.
I’m not a big phone talker either. I never have been so I can understand what you are talking about.
Here are some free cards in PDF form –
http://www.he.k-state.edu/fnp/displays/mealtime/activities/conversation_cards.pdf
Amazon has some you can buy – plus they have other versions too
http://www.amazon.com/Around-the-Table-Games-915/dp/B001L6FZI4
This is from Amazon too but called KID TALK –
http://www.amazon.com/Kid-Talk-Conversation-Entire-Tabletalk/dp/1572813741/ref=pd_sim_t_3
hope this helps. You sound like a good father your kids are lucky. My dad was a workaholic and even worked on holidays. We’d have to wait to open presents on Christmas because my dad wasn’t home. My mom was verbally abusive so I didn’t have the best family life.
Talk about roller coastep.
I had a similar problem when my husband was deployed. He would call every morning, and we would talk… how was your day… how’s the baby… and then we would have awkward silences. We started playing trivia games, or finding fun surveys, we found some first date ice breaker questions that were kinda funny since we had already been married for almost two years, but they were fun anyways. You could probably find something like that appropriate for your kids.
most of my time i remain away from family and children as my job is touring one and almost daily i have a talk with kids. i make them solve their problems, tell them short stories etc. ask them about their day to day activities, their friends. and children are never short of their day to day new experiences. so you may try the same.