Tag Archives: discussions

Family Meetings

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Family meetings are times for families to come together and discuss issues that affect the household. Topics can be about anything, from school, to chores, to vacation planning. You could also hold meetings just as a way to ensure that your family spends time together on a regular basis, with no agenda to the meetings at all. Family meetings are a great way to promote open discussion between yourself and your children. Children whose families engage in regular family meetings are less likely to get into trouble, abuse drugs or alcohol, develop depression, or have poor self-esteem. Any member of … Continue reading →

Foster Discussions and Keep Communication Open

Have you ever had one of those stretches where you were so busy and distracted that it dawned on you that it had been a couple days since you really sat down and talked with your child? When this happens we get filled with guilt and remorse and wonder how on earth we could let such a thing happen… As busy single parents, we really have to make the extra effort to foster discussions with our kids–the older the children get and the more busy we all become, the harder it can be to carve out the time to chat. … Continue reading →

Try to Keep Parenting and Financial Discussions Separate

I know that not all single parent families are formed by divorce or separation, but many of us do have another parent or an “ex” out there to contend with. Emotions and history can make communication and joint decision-making tough. One way to try to keep things a bit more “functional” is to keep financial and property discussions separate from discussions about parenting and child concerns. I think that money conversations can complicate just about any relationship and financial matters are definitely at the top of the list when it comes to stressful conversations we have with our child’s other … Continue reading →

Figuring Out the Best Time for Co-Parenting Discussions

Sometimes, timing is everything. While I’ve written before about how to behave like “business partners” with your child’s other parent, and some ideas for how to get your mind right for negotiations, I also think that it takes some skill to determine when is the best time to broach certain subjects and discuss everything from parenting time to school field trips. Part of the problem with getting the timing right is that we may consciously or sub-consciously get the timing WRONG–if we are still locked in arguments, battles, or power struggles with our child’s other parent, we may be purposefully … Continue reading →

Avoiding Interruptions and Completing Discussions

I have been thinking and writing about communication lately–particularly as it relates to parenting and interacting with our children. One of the problems with having discussions and communicating effectively in the family setting can be all the interruptions! This can make it tough to come to resolutions, pay full attention to the problems and issues at hand, and actually complete important discussions with our children. Here are some tips for making communication a priority and NOT giving in to all those potential interruptions: While some interruptions can come from the environment or other people–such as the ringing telephone, a knock … Continue reading →

In Appreciation of Family Meetings

We don’t have family meetings very often any more. With the youngest member of our family being currently fourteen, it seems we have fewer and fewer group meetings since communication and interactions tend to be more on a one-to-one basis. But, when I look back over nearly two decades of family life and myriad changes, transitions and upheavals, I have to admit that the family meeting was a mainstay in helping us all to work things through. I started family meetings when the kids were quite small—preschool age, I’m certain. We only had a few rules—no name-calling, everyone gets to … Continue reading →