If you have school-age children then you know that September brings about a tumultuous schedule shift that is never the same from year to year. These changes can bring about a lot of chaos if you are not prepared. If you identify with any of the questions below, then NOW is the perfect time to gather everyone together and have your very first family meeting.
Do members of your household have very different schedules and you are not all together regularly?
Do members of the household argue over who does what?
Are chores not getting done?
Do you have a specific problem(s) that need to be addressed and fixed?
Are there unfinished projects around the house? Do those projects make it difficult for you to run an efficient household and take up valuable space in your home?
Are you are consistently arriving late to school or other activities?
Is homework getting handed in late? Is instrument/athletic practice getting done enough?
Are you trying to figure out what you are going to have for dinner an hour or two before dinnertime?
Do you need more help?
Do you need to teach your children more life skills?
Do you want to establish healthier routines?
Not only are meetings about fixing problems but they can also bring families together in more meaningful ways. We may spend a lot of time living together but we may not be using that time to communicate effectively with each other. Meetings are a dependable way for family members to proactively check in with each other to not only make sure that there is fairness in the workload but to also prepare for each week in an organized way.
To get started with your family meeting, check out my free printable family meeting agenda worksheet.