With school starting back and schedules once again hectic, one of the topics that may surface among mothers in your ministry is finding time to talk with their children.  Career moms and stay-at-home moms all discover that time never seems to be on their side.   Here are some tips to help moms maximize conversation time with their children.

Studies show that children in families where there is a great deal of conversation and discussion of issues tend to be better thinkers, readers and more curious learners.  When we ask our children open-ended questions (in which there are no right or wrong answers), it stretches their minds and imaginations. Dr. Jane Healy calls these questions "playful ponderings."  Try these questions with your child and make up your own "playful ponderings."

• If you had a magic paintbrush that would make whatever you painted come alive, what would you paint?
• How many things can you think of to do with a balloon?
• If you could talk to animals, what would you ask them?
• If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and what would you do there?
• What would you find in the deepest ocean? Fartherest outerspace? Thickest jungle? Highest mountain?

Provided by womensministry.net contributing writer Cheri Fuller. Adapted from Cheri's book 21 Days to Helping Your Child Learn (Zondervan).