Let's talk family meetings

[carissanboys]

Does your family do any kind of family meeting? I'd like to start doing a family meeting and am looking for ideas on ways to do it and things to do during the meeting.

There will be an opportunity for the kids to voice any concerns they have or issues. It's important to me that my kids don't argue when they're told to do something, but at the same time, I DO want to give them a chance to voice their feelings and opinions if they think something is unfair, etc.

I'd also like to incorporate a game into the meetings, something that is fun that also helps to build the family bond.

I'd love to hear about your family meetings! Any suggestions or tips?

 

[GothTink]

We do! At any time, any member of the family can call a family meeting. The rules of a family meeting: 1. No one can get in trouble for anything they say while in a family meeting. 2. Respect others and listen at all times (wait for your turn). We always state the rules at the beginning of each meeting. Generally, someone will call one when we have something to discuss as a family (this varies from the truth about the toothfairy to vacation talks to something horrible happened, etc.). And they've made us closer.

 

[juliana_sd]

Great idea! We don't do them since it's just DS and me, so technically everything is a family meeting but when I was a kid we had a "talking stick" at our family meetings, and only the person holding it was allowed to talk. That way everyone gets a change to finish without being interrupted.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

We don't do family meetings but we do sit down to dinner every night and talk. We also play the story game. One of us starts with a few sentences like "Once upon a time there was a princess named Fiona. She lived in a hut and had a hedgehog for a pet. One day she went for a walk in the forest when all of a sudden...." then the next person takes over. The kids love this and so do we! Our kids are young so I don't really know what we would discuss in a family meeting.

 

[powellrj]

we have done family meetings before and have found if you have easy food like pizza it makes it less formal and people open up easier.

DH and I also have what we call business meetings a couple of times a year. When there are big changes coming up, we will meet together with a calendar and checkbook and plan for the coming months. With 3 kids that are very busy and both of us have full-time jobs, sometimes we have to plan time to sit down together and make plans.

 

[worm761]

we have what is called family day in our house. it is just me, DS and my boyfriend. sometimes we will grab my niece and nephew for family day too but that is only if everyone agrees. sometimes family day is fun, sometimes not so much. but at least one day a week we all spend it together.

for a family meeting maybe think about if the kids can write...have them put their concerns on paper and put them in a box. then at the family meeting someone can be the "grand puba" or what ever name you want. the grand puba gets to read concerns of the family and start discussions. they also would get to choose dinner or dessert and maybe what game would be played. then you could take turns being the grand puba. if one of the kids gets to be in charge they will definitely like it better. you also may want to think about going on family trip to look at and buy board games that everyone wants to play.