101 Conversation Starters for Families

by Gary Chapman, Ramon L. Presson

Overview

To get your family close, you have to get it talking.

One of the signs of a healthy family is open and meaningful conversation. But it's not always easy to get your kids talking. 101 Conversation Starters for Families is an excellent place to begin, providing just the right blend of fun and thought-provoking questions, such as:

• If you could ask God a question, what would you ask?
• Complete this sentence: “I feel especially close to you when . . .”
• About trading places:
• Children: I think the best part about being a grown-up would be . . .
• Parents: I think the best part about being a kid would be . . .

Authors Gary Chapman and Ramon Presson have created this treasure trove in a handy tabletop format. Whether you do one question a week or five days a week, your family will experience a new level of closeness. 101 Conversation Starters for Families is the perfect companion to bestselling books, The 5 Love Languages of Children and The 5 Love Languages of Teenagers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802408396
Publisher:	Moody Publishers
Publication date:	04/01/2012
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	112
Sales rank:	1,079,036
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 5.40(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

GARY CHAPMAN, PhD–author, speaker, counselor–has a passion for people and for helping them form lasting relationships. He is the #1 bestselling author of The 5 Love Languages series® and director of Marriage and Family Life Consultants, Inc. Gary travels the world presenting seminars, and his radio programs air on more than 400 stations. For more information, visit his website at www.5lovelanguages.com.

RAMON PRESSON, PhD, a licensed marriage & family therapist, has been in practice for 30 years and is the founder of LifeChange Counseling and Marriage Center of Franklin. He is a newspaper columnist; and with a dozen books in print he is the most published practicing therapist in Tennessee. He is a charter member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. From 1989 to 2004 Presson served as an assistant pastor in large churches in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee. Ramon has had the unique privilege to serve on staff with and later co-author several books with Dr. Gary Chapman. He is currently co-authoring the teen edition of When Will My Life Not Suck? Authentic Hope for the Disillusioned with his 17-year-old son, Cameron. Ramon and his wife, Dorne, have been married for 28 years, have two sons, and live outside Nashville. He can be reached at [e-mail].

Read an Excerpt

101 conversation starters for families

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By GARY CHAPMAN RAMON PRESSON

Northfield Publishing

Copyright © 2012 Gary Chapman & Ramon Presson
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-8024-0839-6

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Chapter One

question 1

Give each member of the family an imaginary award for an achievement or something special they did recently.

question 2

Name one talent you wish you had.

question 3

If you had to give up sight, hearing, the ability to speak, or the ability to walk, which would you choose?

question 4

If you had a magic wand and could change anything in your life right now, what would it be?

question 5

If you could be on any magazine cover, which one would you select?

question 6

If you could go on a vacation to another country, which one would you select?

question 7

What is one of your favorite stories that your parent(s) tell about you?

question 8

If we had to move from our home to another city, what would you miss the most about our home? Our neighborhood? Our city? Who would you miss the most?

question 9

If you could have any kind of unconventional pet, what would you choose?

question 10

What is the best reason you can think of not to use alcohol or drugs?

question 11

Bestow a "Fruit of the Spirit Award" (Galatians 5:22-23) upon each family member. From the following, affirm the quality you observed recently.

love

joy

peace

patience

goodness

faithfulness

gentleness

kindness

self-control

question 12

What dessert do you think you could eat for a lifetime?

question 13

In Acts 12 young Rhoda told the people in the house that Peter was knocking on the door, but they didn't believe her. Can you recall a time that you were telling the truth but someone didn't believe you?

question 14

If you could ask God any question, what would you ask?

question 15

Talk about a time when it felt good to help someone.

question 16

If I could be any kind of animal for a day, I'd like to be a ...

question 17

Which of the following would you like to have in your backyard?

go-cart track

swimming pool

greenhouse

miniature golf course

tennis court

clubhouse

treehouse

underground headquarters

20 pieces of playground equipment

other __________________________

question 18

In the Chronicles of Narnia, four children walked through a wardrobe (clothes closet) and into the magical land of Narnia. If you had a magic door in the back of your closet that could take you to one special place anytime you want to go, where would it be?

question 19

What is something that would be hard for you to share?

question 20

As a surprise for your birthday party we've arranged for a famous person of your choice to attend. Who will you choose?

question 21

I wish I had a personal coach, tutor, or mentor for ...

question 22

What is one of the most uninteresting things you have to do on a regular basis?

question 23

Using the first letter of your first name, the family must come up with a positive word the begins with the same letter to describe you. For example: Talented Trevor or Generous Ginny.

question 24

What were the best and worst moments from this past week?

question 25

In what Olympic sports event would you like to win a gold medal?

question 26 Everyone has five minutes to scout the house for objects that positively describe members of the family, then use the object in a sentence to describe the person. For example: "I have a light- bulb for Cameron because he brings light into our house"; or "I have a paper clip for Mom because she holds our family together."

question 27 This week my internal weather could be described as:

partly cloudy

partly sunny

hot and dry

unpredictable

thunderstorms

cold and rainy

early fog, then clearing

frost warning

other __________________

question 28

If at the end of every day you were granted an extra hour to do anything you wanted, how would you regularly spend that hour?

question 29

Tell family members about a compliment or affirmation that you've received recently from someone outside the family.

question 30

Who is someone in our extended family (grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin, in-law) that you wish you could spend more time with?

question 31

Give each member of the family an imaginary gift certificate to a favorite store, for a favorite or wished-for product, or special event.

question 32

Who is someone in our extended family, neighborhood, school, church, or workplace for whom we could do something helpful? What could we do?

question 33

About bullies

CHILDREN: Who is the biggest bully at your school?

PARENTS: Recall a bully at your school.

BOTH: Why do you think some kids become mean?

question 34

About trading places

CHILDREN: I think the best part about being a grown-up would be ...

PARENTS: I think the best part about being a kid again would be ...

question 35

The early years

PARENTS: Recall and describe some special detail or feeling you remember about the day each child was born or came into the family.

CHILDREN: What is you earliest childhood memory (one of the first that comes to mind)?

question 36

If you were President of the United States for a day, who is someone that you would honor with a special award?

question 37

What is your favorite television commercial?

question 38

If you could change anything about your appearance, what would you change?

question 39

What is your favorite time of the day? Favorite day of the week? Favorite month of the year?

question 40

Recall a family outing or vacation that went badly but you're able to laugh about now.

question 41

Complete this sentence: "I feel especially close to you when ..."

question 42

What was your best day this past week?

question 43

What animal best illustrates how you deal with conflict?

lion—attack first

turtle—turn inward and silent

bird—fly away

skunk—fight dirty

snake—attack if provoked

puppy—whimper and cry

peacock—make a scene

other _____________

question 44

PARENTS: A rule that I wish we had in my family growing up is ...

CHILDREN: A rule in our family I wish I could change is...

question 45

Talk about a time you were scared.

question 46

Conflict is pretty normal in all families. Forgiveness is a gift regularly offered in healthy families. Complete the following sentence: "(Name), I'm glad you're not still angry at me for ..."

question 47

Recall a time when someone (not a family member) hurt your feelings.

question 48

Recall a time when you were nervous about having to do something in front of a lot of people (recitation, give a report or speech, sing, play an instrument, playa sport, etc.).

question 49

Recall a time that you were really embarrassed.

question 50

Complete this sentence: "I wish I had the (courage, time, or money) to try ..."

question 51

Recently I didn't feel very pleased with myself when I ...

question 52

Each person comes up with a separate answer for every family member: "I know that something that drives you nuts is ..."

question 53

How much influence do you think your friends have on you?

question 54

If the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) grew on trees, which one would you most want to plant in our yard for yourself?

love

joy

peace

patience

goodness

faithfulness

gentleness

kindness

self-control

question 55

What is something that you are worried about these days (or typically worry about)?

question 56

Tell about a time you felt very sad.

question 57

Each person has a love language, a way in which they feel truly loved. What do you think is the love language of each person in our family?

Physical touch (hugs, kisses, cuddling)

Words of affirmation ("I love you" "I missed you today," "You look great")

Acts of service (doing something special to help or surprise)

Quality time (spending time together in a way that is meaningful for the other)

Receiving gifts (token of love; items the person likes or enjoys)

question 58

One of the things that I like most about our church (or community) is ...

question 59

Recall a family experience involving one of the following: fishing, hunting, biking, hiking, or camping.

question 60

The lion, beaver, otter, and golden retriever are animals used to describe four personality types. Which one do you think best describes you?

I'm a lion: strong, confident, a leader; I like to make sure things get done.

I'm a beaver: detail-oriented and organized. I follow instructions and am good with projects.

I'm an otter: very outgoing, humorous, creative. I enjoy people.

I'm a golden retriever: loyal, sensitive, caring.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from 101 conversation starters for families by GARY CHAPMAN RAMON PRESSON Copyright © 2012 by Gary Chapman & Ramon Presson. Excerpted by permission of Northfield Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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