Promote UK Launch Fink Conversation Cards

Mum creates clever way to get families talking

Fink™ Cards nurture kids’ communication skills and strengthen family bonds

11 September 2008 – A mother on a mission to get families communicating, has created a simple yet highly effective tool that encourages families to get talking around the dinner table. Fink™ Cards (Family Interaction Nurtures Kids) are a pack of 54 thought-provoking conversation cards that transform mealtimes by providing a series of questions the whole family can answer.

The cards ask questions like ‘Who inspires you?’, ‘What is your favourite day of the week?’ and ‘If you could choose a superpower, what would it be?’ The purpose is to get the whole family to share views and ideas, develop listening and communication skills, and gain mutual understanding and respect for each other.

Today’s busy lifestyle means children are getting more screen time and less personal interaction with parents. This lack of quality family time has been cited as a key reason for many of today’s social issues from crime to eroding moral values, poor eating habits and anti-social behaviour.

Yet, when Lisa Warner, a mum of four, came up with the idea of question cards ten years ago, it was simply to help her family mealtimes become less chaotic.

“The older kids didn’t want to leave the TV for five minutes, the younger ones didn’t want to stop playing with their toys and were fussy about food. Every mealtime was stressful with my husband and I yelling at the kids. I wondered why I bothered to even set the table,” Lisa explains. “Then I had the idea to create question cards that were fun so that the kids would look forward to sitting around the table giving their answers. They loved it – particularly hearing mum’s and dad’s answers – and our mealtimes were transformed.”

Having seen the long term positive affect regular family discussions have had on the development of her children, all of whom are now confident communicators with a very strong family bond, Lisa wanted to help get other families talking. She believes this will have an impact on some of the problems facing children today.

Using the principles of her homemade cards from years before, she created Fink™ Cards. The cards serve as a conversation starter and can easily be modified for children as young as two. The key is to let everyone have a chance to speak and be listened to. As interesting discussions take place, there is an opportunity for the family to really get to know each other. This shared time brings a family closer and offers children a deep sense of security and stability.

Yvonne Wake (BSc. MSc), a Public Health Nutritionist at Roehampton University, London and who has recently written a paper on nutrition and the role a family plays, agrees that it’s important to eat meals together as a family.

“Talking to children over dinner is a great way of gaining trust and they are more likely to talk about things that could sometimes feel uncomfortable. Regular meal times altogether give children the opportunity to discuss problems with family members; it relaxes and encourages them to wind down. From an emotional standpoint, research shows that children who frequently eat with their families have better results at school, are less depressed, less likely to drink alcohol, smoke, or use marijuana than children who eat with their families less than twice a week,” says Wake.

Fink™ Cards cost £4.99 and are available from www.finkcards.com. They also make ideal stocking fillers or table presents for Christmas and help get over any awkward silences at the Christmas dinner table with less well known family members.

[ Contact the author ] [ Site Link ]