Kate & Emily

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The funny thing about family meetings is that although they sound ghastly they really can get the gang communicating better, improve talking and listening , help problem solve and more. So surely it has to be worth a go?

It may seem odd to apply a communication idea more closely associated with the boardroom, but there is no reason why families shouldn’t have meetings too. The very concept of a meeting smacks of the work place and although such comparisons feel inappropriate any team will work better if they have effective ways of communicating, rewards and consequences, goals and so on.

All too often, conversations are snatched on the way in or out of the door as we run to keep up with our busy lives. As children get older, their schedules compete with ours (and usually win!) and time to talk, as a family can be scarce.

However these get-togethers are not just suitable for older children. Start early – as soon as your children understand they are part of a family and can cope with simple communication. Having family meetings is a really excellent way of acclimatising your children to the concept of teamwork. Children young as 3 can understand and become involved, so long as the subject is on their radar screen. If you have very young ones too, the older ones can take turns to be their “voice