Table Topics
Mind-stretching brain games and conversation starters. It's the perfect opportunity for sharing stories, building knowledge, strengthening character, and having fun!
Find a point of conflict within your family and ask the individuals involved to play out the situation--but as each other. Seeing yourself portrayed by others can be an eye-opening experience. Expect some protests, "I don't sound like that!"
Make sure everyone tones down the sarcasm and moves into the problem-solving portion of the conflict. Encourage the participants to use reflective listening to find the motivations and feelings behind the conflict. Role reversal is an excellent tool for learning empathy, the ability to understand what other people are feeling. It's the "walk a mile in my shoes" experience.
During the role reversals, you will more than likely encounter episodes where someone who is being portrayed will say, "No, that's not what I think at all!" Listen, you will probably learn something important.
Learn more about reflective listening:
Read another issue of Table Topics
What is a Rainbow?
Have you heard the parable of the blind men and the elephant by John Godfrey Saxe?
Blind Men and the Elephant (a.k.a., "Blindmen") (by John Godfrey Saxe).
What if the blind men had been asked to describe a big dog instead of an elephant? Take turns using your descriptive language skills to identify a dog from only the parts of its body from its slobbering tongue to its wagging tail.
