Tiffin Talk

https://tiffintalk.com, $60 For decades, moms have been slipping notes into their children’s lunch bags with messages of inspiration, kindness and encouragement. But now those messages of “Good luck on your math test” and “Have a good day” are getting an upgrade through the new line of cards called TiffinTalk. Really the cards serve as simple conversation starters. With comments like: “Please finish: I feel strong when I…” and “Describe 5 ways to entertain your parents,” the cards get kids thinking and provide an opportunity for conversation when your child gets home from school beyond the usual: “How was your day?” Inside the cards is also plenty of room to add your own note to your child. My kids and I tested out the cards just as the school year was winding down. As we’re getting ready to start a new school year, my 8-year-old son is already reminding me to put them in his lunch. My 12-year-old pre-teen wasn’t quite as impressed with the cards, but a couple of the comments in them started quite the conversation amongst the kids she sat with at the lunch table. Overall, it was a positive experiment, although for me it was more of a struggle to add one more thing to remember during a busy morning. The real benefit to the cards could be in helping to build and strengthen relationships for kids in care. If they’re new to a family, the cards may help them feel more welcome. If they’ve been with a family for a while, it may just help to open communication and deepen a relationship. The cards are a pretty simplistic way of letting kids know you’re thinking about them and that you care. Having something new and different to talk about at the dinner table every night is also a benefit. Because the cards are designed for specific age groups, you can choose the one that best fits each child. There’s also a new line for therapists that they can use with the children they work with. While the comments on the card are pretty basic, there may be one here or there that might be triggering for a child, so parents should definitely review the comments before inserting them into a child’s lunch box. Overall, using the TiffinTalk cards would probably be a positive benefit to foster parenting and an easy way to open communication and build relationships. — Reviewed by Kim Phagan-Hansel