I have a huge desk top calendar hanging inside my pantry door. On it I write the schedule for everyone – doctor appointments, sports practices, games — you name it. As well as our weekly menu. I call the calendar my brain.
But as my children have gotten older, I have felt the need to add weekly family meetings to the mix. Now we don’t do anything hugely formal like some families, more like a Meet and Greet. A way for us to all look at each other and say, “Wow, you still live here?”
We all get together on Sunday night, usually very late, and discuss what is coming up in the next week. I’ll take dinner ideas from the kids before I plan the menu and grocery shop for the week. The kids will have the opportunity to tell me about any sort of party invitations that have come in and are lingering around in their pockets or bedrooms. We will discuss plans and expectations for the upcoming week. Talk about the past week, both the good and the bad, and how we can improve.
I don’t remember any of my friends having family meetings when we were all kids growing up. I have to wonder if it is because as families we have all gotten so much more busy. Family mealtimes, once an American staple, have fallen by the wayside as more and more of us have children involved in after school activities that last well into the evening.
This week alone I have three days when at least some of us will be gone from 4:30pm until 10:00pm. There is no way for all of us to sit down together and have a family meal. Also, this is why I love my crockpot. And sandwiches.
So what about your family? Have you found the weekly family meeting as indispensable as I?
We have just started family meetings in our household. It started mysteriously around the same time as allowances and handipoints! We review the appointments of the week, the school lunches to decide who wants to “eat out” or brown bag, and the supper menu. We also try to review the chores to see if there are any “stickypoints”, those areas that either need work, or may not have time to do. it has really helped the family get together and be on the same page. We usually do this after lunch on Sunday since hanipoints ends Saturday and we can disperse allowances then. It usually only takes about 30 minutes, and everyone walks away happy (unless they did not earn allowance that week).
Comment by Claire — April 1, 2009 @ 2:29 pm
We have family meetings usually once or twice a month but we are going to start them on a weekly basis now that the boys are getting older with more activities.
Comment by Heather — April 2, 2009 @ 11:23 am
Our family meetings have an agenda, we talk about schedules, meals etc. I love that this gives my girls and husband a chance to say this is a busy day so can you support me on this day or be aware that I might be stressed out. It is also a chance to bring up issues, they are discussed there and then dropped, this helps with the nagging (ex. Putting away laundry the day it is done) Also compliments are given at this time. We have added a compliment bulliten board where you write what you want about another person, only positive things go on this board.
Comment by Chris — April 2, 2009 @ 11:47 pm