Family Meetings

Whether you are a couple with or without children, there is a lot to sort out and coordinate in your busy lives. It is easy to get caught up in work and errands and social engagements, the "business" of life. But for many couples and families it takes over and there is no time or energy left for relationships and the intimacy that makes them tick. Then feelings get hurt and anger rises and people start to grow apart, begin to look to get their needs met by other activities and people. There are many reasons that couples grow apart, a lot can happen over time in a relationship.
Whatever the reason, when you decide that you want to work on building the trust and the teamwork that will bring you back to feeling connected, there are some things you can do that will help. First of all it is important to set your family and the management of it as a priority. Weekly "Family Meetings" are one of the ways I encourage couples and families to work at developing respectful and productive relationships.
Setting a time each week where you meet to discuss all family business helps you find ways to feel closer and more connected. It's a time to review schedules, discuss plans for projects, vacations, finances, holidays and anything else you have going on in your busy lives.
I always recommend that there be a family calendar on the refrigerator or somewhere else that is central to the family's daily lives. Then everyone can check it to see what's on the schedule before planning anything. For the more technologically advanced of you, you can use your online shared calendars that can be accessed by everyone.
Having an agenda for the meetings helps you to stay focused and get all the "work" done during the meeting. You can post a blank agenda on the refrigerator so that anyone can write in an item during the week that they would like discussed at the next meeting.
You can even have a notebook with the notes from previous meetings to refer back to when you forget what decisions you made at a previous meeting.
I am putting together some suggested guidelines for meetings, blank agendas and other forms that you might find useful. Email me, leave your contact information or sign up to be a follower and I can send these out to you or let you know when they are posted on my website and my blog.
I have the Family Meeting outlines and forms available now so email me and I will send them out to you. Soon they will be available on my blog or website for free as a download.