Parenting Roundtable Discussion Questions

This has been a very social week for us! On Wednesday we went to a parenting roundtable and ice cream social. The kids got to go off and play during the roundtable, but they showed up with bells on for the ice cream sundaes! Then today we had a big Potluck and Play Time get together at the house from 11 am to 4 pm, to thank all of the families who came to visit us while we were at the shelter and who have been so loving and supportive and kind. The girls and I set out a veggie tray (carrot sticks, red and orange bell pepper strips) and Sour Cream-Parmesan Dip, hard cooked eggs, homemade yogurt, Persimmon-Applesauce Bars, sun tea, cold brew iced tea, two kinds of juice, milk, and pitchers of ice water. Everything else was brought by other people... and it was lovely. My friend Laurie gave me her recipe for her delicious Roasted Cauliflower. It was so simple and tender.

Sour Cream-Parmesan Dip

Combine
16 oz container sour cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 T Grey Poupon
salt and pepper

Roasted Cauliflower

Remove leaves and slice thick part of the core off the bottom of your head of cauliflower so that it sits flat. Coat the head of cauliflower with olive oil and sprinkle your choice of herbs and spices over the entire head. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour, then open the foil packet and roast uncovered for another hour.

I really enjoyed the parenting roundtable discussion as well and an hour just flew by!

I think that an excellent parenting class or support group could be designed simply as a series of open ended meetings, with these questions as the ice breaker and jumping off point.

The moderator wrote each question on an index card and distributed the cards randomly. When the meeting began we first went around the table and introduced ourselves, stated the ages of our children, and shared something positive about each child. Then discussion began, where people could volunteer to read the question on their card, if they felt inspired to, or to ask about any parenting question or problem that was on their mind. We had all ages of moms and dads there and it was nice to get support and suggestions from people who had also been in that particular parenting situation.

I asked the moderator for the questions and she graciously shared them with me. I don't, however, know the original source. If you do, please let me know so that I can give the appropriate citation.

1. Parental Resilience:

"How do you keep your cool as a parent when you've had a rough day?"

"Why is it important to have a positive attitude?"

"Think of someone who loves you: what would that person say that your strengths are?"


2. Social Support:

"What do you do to make amends when you mess up in a relationship?"

"Have your friends changed since you've become a parent? In what ways?"

"What do you want to teach your children about friendship?"


3. Knowledge of Parenting & Child Development:

"What are some of the things you've had to learn as a parent, and how did you learn them?"

"What comes naturally to you as a parent?"

"How do you know when something you're doing as a parent isn't working? How do you change course?"


4. Concrete Support:

"If your family was in a crisis, who would you turn to, and why?"

"Are you more comfortable assisting others in need, or getting assistance yourself? Why?"

"How do you decide what steps to take when there's a real problem in your life?"


5. Social & Emotional Competence of Children:

"What are the signs of trouble in a child's emotional life? What do you do to deal with them?"

"How do you handle it when your child's feelings or actions stir up negative feelings in you?"

"What do you teach your child about violence -- on TV, in their neighborhood, or in society?"


6. Nurturing and Attachment:

"How do you discipline a child without being angry and keep the relationship strong?"

"How do you know when you're communicating well with your child?"

"How do other family relationships affect your relationship with your child?"