Dinner A Love Story Cookbook

LS: Do you have any tips on getting kids to partake in dinner table conversation?

JR: All parents have this "we better have a meaningful family conversation" mentality; don't set yourself up for failure! It's not always going to happen. We're most successful in my house when we play "Mad, Sad, Glad"; I think that the Obamas call their version "Roses and Thorns." It's when you go around the table and go through the high and low points of each person's day. That always gets them talking. It feels forced at first, but it really does work.