Family Honor Plate and Table Thyme Discussion Cards - A Review

Have you heard of The Family Honor Plate? I had the chance to review one, in exchange for my honest opinion. At first glance, I thought that it might be something better suited for a family with preschool or younger elementary aged children. Wrong! This diy craft/soon to be family treasure works great with all ages. Let me share with you what it's all about.

First of all, what is it? The Family Honor Plate is well, obviously, a plate. You and your kids decorate it, allow at least an hour to dry, bake it for a half hour, cool completely, and then use it any time an occasion arises, to honor a member of your family. Think birthdays, milestones, special achievements, really any time that you want to show someone honor. That's festive enough in and of itself, but there's a little more to it. Table Thyme Discussion Cards ask all kinds of questions to get the conversation moving. They vary from, "What's your favorite day of the week, and why?", to "Do you have friends who help you make good choices?"

The kit we received includes 1 ceramic, ready to paint, honor plate, 8 little paints in various colors, 3 paint brushes, some "discussion starters", a fancy schmancy painter's palette, and a stand to display your plate after it's been decorated. In addition to all of that, we received a set of "Let's Talk!" discussion cards.

Here are some helpful tips for this project:

About the plate:

Step #1 MOM AND DAD - BE THE EXAMPLE. BE THE ROLE-MODEL:

The virtues are listed in the center of the plate for mom and dad to use as their anchor, their moral compass to guide them in how they need to show up for and to their children.  This is how our children learn what character (Christ's Character) is, what it looks like, what it feels like. Our children are watching us and learning from us. 

Step #2 BE ON THE LOOKOUT:

Look for the good choices and attitude your kids/spouse are making and showing throughout the day. Track it back to the virtues and character it shows.

Step #3 CELEBRATE THEIR CHARACTER:

Turn dinnertime into a celebration when you catch someone making good choices and showing good character and present their meal on the FAMILY HONOR PLATE.  This is when you:

·      Talk about the choices they made and the virtues and character that it showed (Be specific).

·      Talk about how they made everyone involved feel and the impact they had on people and how that is POWERFUL and BEAUTIFUL.

About the cards:

Every question is followed up with "Why?" to take everyone's answers to a deeper more intimate level.  That's where the magic is and the real conversation starts. So now when even a simple question such as..."What is your favorite dessert?" for example, rather than someone answering "Apple Pie" and then moving on to the next person, the whole family gets to walk down memory lane because it reminds them of Grandma Smith who always made apple pies with them when they came to visit." Her house always smelled of fresh baked pies and she gave the best hugs when we walked in the door." 

Communication is the key to connecting, building and maintaining healthy relationships.  When we are raise our children to be confident in their ability to communicate with others and get their point across, situations are less stressful and they have better outcomes.

Here's a video to help you out:

How about one more?

I have to take a minute and be honest here. When I took the plate out of the package and considered how to decorate it, the thought briefly crossed my mind to do it myself (she admitted through ashamed and gritted teeth, lol). You know, to have a prettier plate. I know, I know, that's wrong, and immediately defeats the purpose of this as a family tradition. But it was only a fleeting thought, and it quickly left as I realized how much pleasure my youngest in particular would have in painting. Truthfully, I underestimated how much fun both of my daughters, who are 12 yrs., and 13 yrs., would have in creating this project. It was also very fun to see the differences in their respective personalities (and oh boy, are they different) come through so clearly, in their designs. Having said all of that, the plate, in its now complete design and colors, does, as I feared, resemble a bruise, hee hee. But the girls LOVE it. My 12 year old has already named it a precious family heirloom. Take a look.

The decorating begins

You paint half, and I'll paint half

Put plate in cold oven, turn on to 350 degrees, and bake for  half an  hour. Cool completely.

The plate was complete, it was time for some honoring. We opted for general appreciation for the girls, as birthdays have passed for this year. Now yes, the treats for each were fun, but the best part of the process was the Table Thyme Discussion Cards. I truly was surprised at the uproarious laughter and general hilarity that ensued. Especially from my 13 year old, who often embraces the challenges of the teen years with gusto. In all seriousness, I thought that, as a homeschooling family, I knew my kids pretty well. But I learned a lot from the questions! Thought processes that surprised, and impressed me.

No, I didn't accidentally crop her out of the photo, she dislikes having pics taken.

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this kit as much as I did. My girls have brought out the discussion cards at every meal time since making the plate. My daughters are very big on family traditions, and it looks like we just added a new one here. I'm recommending this one for every family with kids at home. Also adding this to my Christmas list  for friends and family. I hope you'll check it out!

Want to buy it?

Family Honor Plate