Let's dig into our first family meeting experience

mmmmmm.  I had all these yummy ideas that I wanted to try and start with our family.

I went on the Power of Moms retreat hoping to gain more confidence in how I wanted to implement them into our family's ways.

I came home with many of the ideas more clearly understood - and yet I wasn't taking the leap to begin them.

Things like rituals, traditions, family rules, chore/ allowance systems, organization systems. 

So this weekend I spent my Saturday evening puttering with the chore system that I had been planning (based on my friend Sarah's successful system).

I announced to Ed that we would officially begin family meetings on Sunday evening after the Packer game.

And he said, "okay."  I know he has been waiting for some of these things to actually happen.

I find that sometimes, with somethings, I overthink them and get so set on having them be thought out and perfect ...when really, we just need to dive in with the realization that we can tweak them as we go.

So on Sunday afternoon I shared that we would have our first Family meeting after bath time.  Immediately the boys began hopping.  Charley was so excited.  Earlier in the day he had wanted to share a joke with me but I told him that he could open our meeting with the joke - so save it until then.  He was pumped.

As the meeting was about to start I asked Henry to go get the bathroom stool.  Which meant Ed gave me an odd look - like maybe I was off my rocker. 

But you see, the stool will be more important in the future when our little tribe members run the meetings.  It gives them the platform and feeling that they have the power and our attention.

So I mounted the bathroom stool and this is how it went:

1.  Joke:  Charley opened with the joke.

2.  Our week:  we shared if there were anythings going on during our week (boy scouts, working late..etc)

3.  Concerns (we problem solved Charley's complaint that Henry bugs him sometimes and mom and dads concern that they went into the neighbor's house AGAIN without asking first.... which led to...)

4.  Rule work:  We are working on our first rule of ASKING - we read sentences and did a thumbs up thumbs down on whether they were things they needed to ask about or if they could do without asking.  Then Charley and Henry went around the corner and practiced role playing one of the items.  Ed and I did too.  We shared our role plays.  We talked about how this week we were going to do better about "asking".

 

5.  Family work:  This week we discussed the idea that we are a family and we all have to help around the house.  But that there were some things that they were expected to do independently.  And I introduced their "MUST DO Lists" and shared the "CAN DO List" that they can pick from when they get enough "Must do points".  They were pretty pumped. (more on this soon)

6.  We ended with a song...which I wondered about...but Charley requested Rudolph and EVERYONE sang and it was soooo cool.  Charley and Henry have both had teachers report that they are shy with the singing.  I think having Daddy in the singing mix really helped. 

7.  Finally, we all shared treat...a slice of the french silk pie that I "whipped" up that afternoon.  (Recipe coming tomorrow).

The whole meeting took 20 minutes! 

I can't wait for next Sunday.

Charley is determined to lead the meeting.

I think we will have popcorn or hot chocolate as our treat.

And we will most likely begin our peace talks!

Henry will be in charge of the joke.

And away we go!