Have you ever had a family meeting?
We had our first one on Tuesday night.
I grabbed the chalkboard.
The girls grabbed 1500 pillows, made a mountain and then laid back on them, like they were lounging beside a pool.
Jamie was responsible for refreshments.
We wrote down the *issues*.
Namely:
Too much t.v.
Too many sweets
Too much toy clutter (lately I feel like I can't breathe amidst the piles of dolls and books)
Pippa was, of course, no help.
"I want da chalk".
"I need to tuh-luh" (= color)
At the mention of too much t.v., she gets excited "Can we have a show?!".
No Pippa. No you can't.
In her defense, she's not even two. She was a really great sport:)
Winnie did have some great insight.
She helped us make a decent list of solutions.
Not exactly the solutions I was hoping for but that's kind of the point isn't it?
We worked together. We agreed.
Now we'll just see how it all plays out.....
Oh yes, family meetings are the norm here. Lil'S usually sets the kids part of the agenda and I have to say it is super nice not to have to bring up everything. So nice when it comes from them. This is also when we review our budget and the girls get their allowance.
ReplyDeleteGreat tool for creating and encouraging open communications + decision sharing! We have used the Family Meeting through the years with our boys...they struggled through the event/concept in the early years. Slowly but surely it took and now in their late teens it is a positive forum for feeling heard and for initiating change. I think it's wonderful that you are using it with your girls/family.
ReplyDelete*Suggestion - keep a family meeting journal (minutes), as the years go by, you will appreciate (and giggle) over FMs gone by.
I'd never even thought of a journal! What a great idea!!!
ReplyDeleteI also love the idea of talking about budgets and money. Such a great thing:)