FEATURE
Meet as a family every week.
If you aren’t already doing a weekly
family meeting, I highly recommend
beginning this tradition. Family meetings
serve many purposes. They really help
the family to function more smoothly
as a unit. During family meetings, it’s
beneficial to talk about what went well
that week, what didn’t, what needs to be
addressed, and plans for the upcoming
week. When everyone gets to voice their
opinions and ideas, the family bond is
strengthened.
When families work on problems
together, children learn how to work
with others in a team, troubleshoot, and
problem-solve. I also like using family
meetings as a time to share fond memories
from the past week and to share our
appreciations and gratitude of each other.
When everyone in the family feels heard,
understood, and appreciated, you can bet
that parenthood will be a little easier.
Be clear and consistent.
Many parenting problems arise because
we either aren’t clear about the boundaries
or we aren’t consistent with enforcing
those boundaries. Think of a “road closed”
sign. It will stop you from going down that
road, but unless there’s a detour arrow,
you’re likely left stuck without knowing
where to go next. Telling children what to
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