Family meetings have numerous benefits; including bringing the family together, connecting, and getting everyone dialed in. After we hold ours, there are no surprises and we all feel heard. The back-to-school topic is a crucial one for families. At the end of this posting, I’ll share our last family meeting’s agenda which covers all the changes that come in the fall. All ages can benefit from family meetings, from preschoolers on up to teenagers, as long as it’s quick, follows a predictable format, and remains pretty informal.

As parents, family meetings give us a chance to be proactive, little problems can be addressed before they grow. As kids, appreciate their turn to listen and their turn to speak, as long as it’s about 15 minutes or so… especially for teens!

The points we touch on in our family meetings start with announcements. Any “don’t forgets,” a new sports season, a history exam. Next we share celebrations. Anyone can share something they feel proud of or excited about: an A on a test, a goal scored or an encouraging note from the teacher.  Our family calendar is then highlighted for the week or the month, addressing upcoming school events or birthday party invitations. A quick review follows, checking in on how chores are going, or the morning schedule. This is brief and does not zero in on any one child (individual parenting happens at another time, without the audience, perhaps after the meeting). We then allow our children to voice any grievances they have. In our house, we hear a lot of talk about making bedtime later or a fair rotation for turns in the front seat. Lastly, we talk about goals. I write them down, so we can check in at the next meeting. Making goals is an important skill for our children to learn, but this time can also be for prayer requests.

This all may sound daunting, but it’s much more informal than it sounds. Below, I share our meeting agenda regarding going back to school. This visual can be your catalyst to get your family meetings rolling, just in time for the big switch in seasons.

 1^st month of school – FAMILY MEETING AGENDA

• Everyone share their favorite summer memory
• Review new bedtimes for all the kids
• Chores
  • Daily chores vs. weekend chores
  • Who does what?
  • What the consequences are if they are not done
• Review your expectations for the “morning routine”
  • Alarm clocks
  • Showers
  • Packing lunches
  • The time my car leaves the driveway! J
• Review “afterschool routine”
  • Where backpacks, shoes, sweatshirts should always be put after school
  • Empty your own lunch box and put it on the counter
  • All papers to sign, homework etc…  put on the kitchen table
  • Playtime and snack is GREAT, but after the 15 minutes of chores is done
• Expectations for “homework”
  • Always done immediately after dinner
  • Done at the kitchen table unless you need the computer
• Before bedtime
  • All backpacks are ready
  • Lunch is packed (minus the sandwich )
  • Clothes are picked out for the next day
  • Everyone share their personal GOAL or HOPE for the first month of school

JOYfully,

Jen LOVElady

“Back To School Tips and Ideas”

If you missed the call here is the playback info…available for 1 week.

Quick communication with your kids!

We just got back from Cabo, and it was the first big trip for our kids. We brought along something to keep us all in check as we all went about seeing what the resort had to offer the different age ranges of our family. These Motorola walkie-talkies kept us in the know when our kids were headed to the hotel room to shower while the rest of us were at the pool, or if they wanted to join in at bingo or an art project.  I can see that these will be really helpful back at home too, when our 6-year-old walks to the neighbors house, or if we’re camping and the kids are riding their bikes around. They just clip right on to your pants, and they’re really easy to use. Love these easy devices for keeping track of my kids and communicating with them!

Be sure to find lots of other great tips and favorite finds on my website, and be sure to subscribe in the upper right corner!

If you missed the call here is the playback info…available for 1 week.

Playback Dial-in Number:1-218-486-8703

Playback Access Code:919391

I receive hundreds of emails each week, and I try to reply to every one of them when someone has taken the time to email me, send me a message on Facebook or YouTube, or leave a comment on my site. The other day I was doing just that, clearing out my inbox, and a couple of emails remained. I hadn’t written back to these particular ladies for a couple of days because I felt that it required a little more time than the average weekly check-in from my Mommy Coaching programs, for example. I felt prompted to actually pick up the phone and talk to these two women whose names faced me on the screen.

The problem was that I had never met these women.  They reached out to me when they saw me online. And I wanted to speak one on one to them. One mom was Stephanie, in Philly. One mom was Tracy in Nebraska. Maybe it was the impact that Tracy’s story had on me. As a single mom to five little girls under the age of six, her story gave me perspective; while we all feel we have rough days, the image of caring for those little ones left me feeling like I had it pretty darn easy.  So I knew I wanted to reach right on back, and that meant that I had to track them down.

I felt prompted to call. Email is easy. Texting is easy. And they work great, in most scenarios. But there are times when a phone call makes all the difference. So I started my search for these women’s phone numbers. I looked on Facebook. I used the phone book. I called family members! When I finally contacted these strangers, both women were so moved at the measure I’d taken. Tears came to their eyes, and I’ll tell you, they weren’t the only ones touched. I relearned a good lesson too. Once in a while, pick up the phone!

This example is a good one for us all: when we feel compelled, we should make the call. Let email, texting, and Facebook do the work for you, but when it comes to human connections, let the voices be heard! Let’s set the example for our kids too, who have all of these handy resources available to them, sometimes to a fault.

This tip is one of many that are coming your way in the weeks ahead! I have tons of ideas for you. Summer snacks, indoor and outdoor activities, how to plan a Staycation- it’s all coming your way, so stay tuned! And next week, I have a fun little giveaway. I LOVE lip gloss, as many of you know, and next week one lucky subscriber will receive my favorite kind! So be sure to subscribe at www.jenlovelady.com by entering your name & email up in the corner!

This week I’m reporting from my car, as summer has hit and kids are underfoot. So this seemed like a great spot to share an idea with all of you, without background “music.”
This darling idea came to our family years ago, and it is still super special and brings smiles. If a Build-a-Bear store is in your local mall, you can make a family memento like the one my daughter Alexis has, and it’ll bring a sweet smiles to your family for years to come too!
My oldest daughter is now 13, and through her life she has had a very dear relationship with her Grammy Jeri. Grammy isn’t her biological grandmother, but she’s a very dear part of our family just the same, and the special bond that she shares with Alexis started from the beginning. Since Alexis was about three months old, Grammy has been calling her “Peckin’ Queen.” Somehow it stuck.

Quite a number of years ago, Grammy gave Alexis this sweet friend from Build-a-Bear, and in the paw is the surprise. Grammy recorded her voicing saying, “Grammy loves you, Peckin’ Queen!” Years pass, and this little guy is still sharing Grammy’s voice with us, and her term of endearment that is unique only to Alexis.
Your child can enjoy the same sentiment, with a soothing, memorable memento for years to come. Most importantly, perhaps it brings the voice of a dear one that might not be with us ten or fifteen years from now. This unique family gift says it all!

Send this number to all your friends today so they can listen to this value packed 60 minute call!

You want the cheese and tortillas softened but not too smooshy!

Thank you to Julee for sharing this recipe with our family!