Dear Dr. Laura:
When our children were young, I learned from my European mother-in-law to have "tea time" when they got home from school. My husband has fond memories of having tea and a cookie with his mom when he was young, so I did the same with our children.
I discovered that tea time was when everything was fresh in their minds, so I got to hear all about their day at school in great detail. By the time my husband came home for dinner, the first flush of excitement had passed, and they were calmer and less inclined to repeat all the details of their day again, which led to more succinct stories at dinnertime. It's a lovely custom.
My children still enjoy it when they come home today, even though they're all married and on their own!
Sharon
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