I love family dinner.

Family dinner and family driving are the times we have the BEST conversations. We aren’t chasing off in multiple simultaneous directions to cross another item from the overly-long chore list; we’re together, we’re talking, and nobody gets to be distracted.

This weekend one dinner conversation included discussions of how we give to the local food bank, other ways we help those in need, how it’s challenging to know who is in need due to bad luck vs failure to work hard, obtaining assistance via the honor system, what it’s like to win the lottery with reduced value immediate payouts vs the stated amount over time plus the implication of taxes on those amounts, and compound interest.

How are family meals used in your house? Is money a regular educational/discussion topic? Do your kids understand the value of earning interest instead of paying interest? If not, you’re the parent, you can change that.