Family meetings are not a new concept, but they can be very useful and productive

As if you don’t have enough meetings at work, we’re here to encourage you to have family meetings, too! It’s so worth it, we promise. Read on to learn more about how family meetings can help everyone get closer.

Quick Read:

  • Schedule weekly or monthly sessions for a family meeting. This simple act can strengthen family bonds.
  • Family meetings are a great way to catch up with each other’s lives when things get busy.

We know work meetings are probably more than enough, but starting family meetings has a lot of value. Family meetings can go a long way in creating and strengthening family bonds.

Why have family meetings?

Consider a typical day in your life. It’s probably fairly busy, right? Work, preparing food, taking care of your children, seeing to your household. In theory, you’re all spending time together, but there may be a lack of intentional family time due to busy daily routines.

Family meetings are an effective and enjoyable way to bring the family together and improve communication. Think of it as a dedicated time where you all gather, take the opportunity to set goals as a family, listen to each other’s current issues and challenges and find ways to grow together as a family.

    The family is like a tree; it grows in all directions, and its branches reach out in every way.
    – Swahili Proverb

    8 reasons to schedule regular family meetings

    1. It’s a practical way to check in on everyone at once, especially if you have a big family. You can tackle big and small issues at once – family holidays, chores, resolving conflicts and discussing school issues.
    2. Regular family meetings are a powerful means of improving relationships and building cooperation between parents and children. They provide the chance for children to share and accept responsibility, participate fully in family life and work cooperatively for the benefit of the group – their family.
    3. Want to teach your children responsibility? Nothing like regular family meetings to plant the idea. Knowing that they have a monthly meeting to attend gives kids a slice of maturity and a sneak peek into school and work obligations.
    4. Even if your child is at toddler age, they can still benefit from this early communication and sharing of their feelings. This goes double for preteens and teenagers who can often be secretive and withdrawn. Giving them an opportunity and space to share their feelings without judgement is a great developmental milestone.
    Benefits of family meetings

    5. Offer a moment of reflection. Kids can learn to not only think about their feelings on a deeper level, but also see the perspective of the whole family.

    6. Boost your child’s confidence. If everyone has a voice, they feel valued and heard. This helps to raise their overall confidence and self-esteem.

    7. Teach problem-solving skills. Learning to see issues from multiple sides allows kids to learn how to compromise and practice tolerance.

    8. Set goals. Maybe, as a family, you want to go on a grand holiday next year. Make it a family goal to plan ahead for this vacation, whether that means saving for the holiday, getting luggage ready, researching the local history and brainstorming activities and so on. Planning ahead also teaches children how to look toward their own future and teaches them to prepare for what’s coming.

    Tip

    Aim for at least a monthly meeting. This way, it’s regular enough not to feel too much like work but not so often as to become boring and repetitive. If you have a big enough family, you could also offer others the chance to “chair” each meeting.

    Images: Pexels