Family Meetings for the Health and Wellness of Your Family
Let’s chat about family meetings- what are they, why they are so important and how they can help you.
Okay so family meetings are a great thing when you can do them. We try, super hard to do them weekly but ya know, life gets in the way. Especially with a mental health illness, fatigue and all the things. But I can’t say enough how great family meetings can be for the overall health and wellness of your family.
I truly do feel family meetings are vital for the overall health of families. They not only set a foundation for a peaceful home but they allow each member of the family to feel valued, including children. It’s a great time for families to practice solving problems and making decisions as a whole. The goal of family meetings is to have each member of the family feel like they matter, their concerns are valid and they are respected. Another goal is making sure things run as smoothly as possible (sometimes easier said than done) in the home. Dedicating time to keep everyone on the same page is incredibly important.
What is a family meeting? Great question! A family meeting is a discussion held as a whole family- meaning all family members are involved. Topics can range from what’s coming up in the week, check-in and concerns to fun things such as an upcoming family trip and recognition.
Tips to get you started:
- Decide how often you want to have them- weekly is good.
- Keep them positive. This isn’t the time to rattle off all the to do’s, chores etc. (although those are still included) but you want to take the time to talk about the positives of the week and what everyone is looking forward to.
- Communication is key. You’ll want to go through your list but give everyone a chance to speak. At the end ask each person to share what they are looking forward to for the week, what they loved from last week, as well as what they have concerns or questions on.
- Include activities, appointments and all scheduling needs for the week.
- Keep voices calm. If someone needs to be excused, that’s fine.
- Be sure each family member has a chance to speak.
- Stay organized with a paper written ahead of time.
- Review the weeks priors agenda. This allows you to recap any concerns as well.
- Change up the meeting place- get creative. If the sun is shining outside, switch it up!
- Make your family meetings a priority.
Extra fun: Let your children control the meeting or go over the agenda. It’s also a great idea to rotate this job, it shows kids they are viewed as responsible.
What to talk about in your family meeting:
- Go over previous weeks agenda.
- What’s coming up this week? Appointments, activities, schedules, etc.
- Any concerns anyone would like to talk about? Remember this is a safe place, reassure everyone of this.
- Anything budget related.
- What are we thankful for this week? This is great to do weekly as it gives everyone a chance to reflect on the good.
- What we are looking forward to for the month/week?
There are so many wonderful benefits of holding family meetings including solving problems, creating a sense of wholeness as a family, easing tensions, encouraging gratitude and more. Do you think your family would benefit from a family meeting? Then I encourage you to have them!
