There are several reasons why family meetings are important. Not only are they great for communication but they help you to really connect and problem solve as a team.

Between work, school, chores and extracurriculars, many families find it difficult to squeeze in the time to really connect. Many parents feel as though they are constantly on the go, over scheduled and overwhelmed with the responsibilities of raising a family.

Why Family Meetings are Important

Even with the use of technology and screen time, there are several outside resources that can claim the family’s free time and focus. This is where family meetings come in.

Improve Closeness, Communication and Responsibility

Family meetings have a huge impact on how close you are as a family and helps everyone to communicate more effectively. Being able to communicate is extremely important, especially for children because they need to feel as though they are being heard.

By allowing everyone to be involved in family problem solving and decisions making, kids view themselves as having some responsibility when it comes to creating a positive environment in the home. This helps to make your children feel as though they are an important part of their family.

Holding frequent family meetings, makes it clear to your family that respecting one another and spending time together is a priority of everyone in the household. We also found family meetings helpful in terms of preventing any issues from festering and growing. We could deal with them right away and find a solution.

Learn New Skills

Children learn valuable skills when family meetings are held. Skills such as cooperation, compromise and openness to other people’s thoughts will help to teach your children to communicate effectively in their lives outside the home.

Even though you as a parent, set limits for what is acceptable behaviour, family meetings allow everyone to have input. This teaching kids to propose solutions, examine situations and evaluate results with support, guidance and modeling from their siblings and parents.

As kids start to see that they are capable of sourcing solutions to problems, they will be able to work through issues with confidence. Family meetings can help form a foundation for your children that they will take with them throughout their lives.

There are so many benefits to holding frequent family meetings. In fact, having one at least once or twice a month is the best way to solidify a great routine. Family meetings will help to bring your family closer and allow for you to work together as a team, communicating effectively. Not only that but it will help your kids develop new skills and the confidence they need to navigate through life’s situation on their own.

Be sure to check out our post on how to have a family meeting.