It can be tricky to keep young children at the table long enough to eat lunch. And yet meals can be a sweet time for connection during a busy day. One of the things I've found fun and effective is story telling.

I like to tell stories from memory. It keeps me from having to remember to grab books before sitting down.

At first I stammered a bit - having to back track here and there. But over time the stories came out smoother. Plus, I only tell a few so it's been easy to polish them. Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs, and Little Red Riding Hood. Okay, sometimes we do Billy Goats Gruff.

The kids know these stories so well by now they often take turns filling in lines. My son usually asks, "can I do the papa bear part?" before I finish the first line of Goldilocks.

You'd think they'd get tired of these few stories. Nope. They ask for them just about every day.

It's tempting to feed the kids at the table and eat my own lunch standing at the counter. But when I do, I miss this easy opportunity to bolster a whole mess of skills - listening, participating, table manners, nutrition, literacy, and calm.