A family meeting is a great way to keep your family bonded. You can discuss family rules, upcoming events, and share information that everyone needs to know. But unless you have a family meeting agenda, everyone will be off-topic and not paying attention, making it a big waste of time. That is why I have included a family meeting template here to help make sure it stays productive.
Why Have a Family Meeting?
Most importantly, it puts everyone on the same page and the whole family will know the same information. No one can say “I didn’t know” or “Nobody asked me”. No excuses! If there’s a new house rule, chores, vacation being planned, or an event everyone has to attend, the family meeting is the time to share. This way you can make sure everyone knows what’s going on and expected of them.
Weekly family meetings are also a great bonding tool for your family because everyone has the opportunity to connect and share. It reminds everyone that their family is there to support them and help them. It also provides an opportunity to discuss family goals.
Additionally, family meetings teach your kids important life skills. By being exposed to the challenges of parenting, kids can learn what the real world is like and how to deal with their problems in a productive way. Meeting as a family can teach communications skills, problem-solving, planning, conflict resolution, and even budgeting.
Lastly, family meetings help your kids build their confidence as they learn to speak up for themselves. This regular scheduled meeting time gives your kids the opportunity to say what they think and express how they feel without judgement or punishment.
How to Have A Family Meeting
1. Set a regular day and time. This will help everyone know when they need to be present, no exceptions. They can mark it on their calendar for a regular time and day each week.
2. Keep it positive. Help your family stay focused on the positive. Ask your kids to share something good that happened over the week.
3. Moderate, but don’t control. As discussion run off-course, you might need to reign your family in and keep them focuses, but don’t control the entire conversation. Let everyone participate with their own thoughts and ideas.
4. Give everyone a chance to run the meeting. Taking a leadership role will help your kids build self esteem. Allow each family member to take turns calling the meeting to order and going through the family meeting agenda. I have provided a family meeting template below that you can print and use as your weekly agenda.
5. Don’t make it all business. In addition to the important family stuff, having something fun in the agenda will keep your family engaged. Create a fun family tradition for the meetings or have a fun question everyone has to answer at the end.
6. Post reminders. If you make new rules or discuss future plans, be sure to write them down and post them where everyone can see as a reminder of what was discussed.
7. It’s okay to have a difference of opinion. Not everyone will agree, but finding a compromise can make everyone feel like they got something they wanted.
Family Meeting Template Printable
The image version of the family meeting template is above or you can use the pdf version.
Hosting regular family meetings, making them fun, and encouraging your kids to participate, will help build their confidence while also creating a family bond.
If you haven’t already planned your first family meeting, get out your calendar and get add it on there. It’s a great way to bring your whole family together!
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