Evening star., 1941-01-13
Dinner Hour
Should Be
Pleasant
Father Must Lead
In Making Group
Harmonious
BY ANGELO PATRI.

The dinner hour is about the
only time when the family is to-
gether and that hour should be
made to count as much as possible
toward family unity, harmony and
growth. 1t is no time for telling
the days troubles, or for correct
ing behavior or for asking personal
questions. 1t Is the time to be cheer
full. understanding and kindly, the
time for exercising good manners
generally.
The question rises as to what
conversation should be held at the
table. Nobody can answer that
blindly. Each family must settle
it for themselves because each
familys interests, tastes and situ-
ations differ from that of every
other family. One characteristic
holds always-the love of laugh
ter to flavor good food.
There should be at least one
good laugh in every meal. That
does not mean silly giggling that
some nervous children indulge in
at every opportunity, betraying their
lack of security and control. 1t
means an appreciation of some hu-
man predicament that is funny and
there are enough of them in any
one day to meet all requirements
The ability to laugh at oneself is
a gift to be cherished and culti-
waited more than it usually is.
In trying to bring good talk to
the table some families have taken
to reading aloud at meals. That
is not easy to accomplish. How is
mother to offer another spoonful
of beans if father is in the midst
of an Emerson essay? And how
if the article is sad or solemn, is
digestion to wait on appetite? II
seems to me that one might do bet
ter than to read at the table.
Some parents, and to me they
are strangely misguided, use this
hour for testing the information
of the children. When one con-
siders that digestion is checked by
anxiety, excitement or worry, the
mistake of this plan is clear.
1t is bad enough to take tests In
school and worry about them with
out having them offered along with
ones bread and potatoes. Much
of the informa ton that is so proudly
displayed during test periods is per-
fectly useless anyway. Who cares
how many toes are on a cats paw?
Whoever does can count them and
feel superior about it if he wishes
AS for stating the number of people
who live in this country and that
there is the good old encyclopedia
ready to supply the information
accurately and painlessly by the
flick of a finger. Isolated facts dc
not enrich the mind. That require
ment is to be met with constructive
thinking, and that's another mat
ter entirely, one that is being over
looked in many schools, from ele-
mentary through the university.
If father, who has the best chance
anyway. brings home some inter-
esting topic for discussion, and a
bright story to enliven it, and ii
mother does her share, by encour-
aging him and the children to talk
about it, there will be no need for
set schedules, programs that i'm
pose restraints and bring on dreads
that hinder digestion and make
the meal a nightmare.
Children look forward to dinner.
time first because they are hungry
so the meal is important in its con-
tent and serving. They look for
ward to being with father, and he
is very important in his influence
and leadership. Mother can plan
but it takes father to make he1
planning complete by doing his BIZ
at the dinner table.