Family Toasts

Giving a toast is usually something associated with a wedding or exercises in public speaking. It often involves drinking to something, but for this month’s activity with your family we’ll assume it doesn’t necessarily include alcohol. (Smart, huh?)

We recently linked to a blog that gave six tips for helping kids to become better at face-to-face communication. One suggestion was to involve kids in making toasts for special occasions or as a part of regular family dinners. What a great idea!

Not only will assigning a toast to each member of your family help them work on giving a brief prepared speech to a friendly “room,” but it’s also a way we can teach the idea of intentionally honoring each other.

Try This:

We’re suggesting that you plan on having a toast at a family meal once a week for as many weeks as you have eligible people in your household. Pick a night when you’re most likely to be all together most frequently.

Assign each person (including the adults) to give a toast in honor of another person in the family—making sure nobody gets left out. The toast should be prepared ahead of time, be five to ten minutes long, and include the following elements:

• A brief description of the family member’s history and current activities

• A few words about some of that person’s best qualities or achievements

• At least one personal story that shows that person in a positive light

• Optional: A verse, a prayer, or a blessing offered on behalf of that person

You’ll have to make an effort, probably, to get everyone to take this exercise seriously. Emphasize that it shouldn’t be too hard to do, but that it shouldn’t be made up on the spot, either. It might require a little research, asking the person to be toasted about some details of his or her life.

Also, be sure to enforce the idea that this is not a “roast.” Nothing should be presented that is unkind or potentially hurtful to the “toastee.” This is about honoring another person out loud and on purpose.

Beyond that, encourage creativity. Jokes and humor are important parts of giving speeches. Quotes from famous people or the Bible are often helpful. And it’s essential to keep this little toast to a maximum time; it’s never welcome to talk much longer than your audience is expecting.

The big idea is to help your family practice verbal communication in a safe and positive environment—while at the same time encouraging them to articulate positive things about each other right out in the open.

As always, let us know if you try this and how it turns out.

 

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