In the previous blog, we described family meetings and their importance. Here, some tips for better performing them are stated. If the purpose of the session is to discuss a specific problem, the following steps may be helpful:
• Decide who or what the meeting is related to: Tell them what you like to discuss and why.
• Keep the session short: For young children, the session should not be more than 15 minutes.
• Hold a positive meeting: If the whole session is negative, the children will be discouraged to continue. Talk about positive points and how they relate to previous meetings and decisions.
• Ask each person to express their views on the subject easily and without judgment: sit at the table and give everyone a chance to speak. Set a time for each person to comment. You can set a time limit for each speaker in advance.
• Ask everyone to make a suggestion to fix or solve the problem.
• Write suggestions. Discuss the suggestions and consider their practicality. Choose solutions that seem fair and reasonable to everyone. If no agreement is reached, it can be an opportunity to learn compromise and negotiate.
• Develop an action plan: make a list of tasks and the person responsible for doing it and specify when to do it.
• At the end of the session, set a date for the follow-up session. During this time, encourage children to participate in these meetings and programs in a positive spirit.
• Serve healthy food and snacks during the session to encourage children.
Gathered by: Sarah Masoumi, Educational Psychologist