family meeting

We're trying something new at our house. And ... WOW ... is it working!

Every Sunday evening we gather in the living room for a "Family Meeting". First we check last week's list of what each of the girls was working on (e.g. 'obeying right away', 'not spitting', 'putting toothpaste away after brushing', etc). Danny asks the girls how they did and we cross off anything that is no longer an issue. We talk about strategies for improvement. We each share something positive we noticed about each other. Then we spend time asking each of the girls if there has been anything on their mind that they want to talk about. We have been totally amazed at what comes out of their mouths! We've witnessed a literal outpouring of confession, blessings, heartfelt concerns, and general family bonding.

At our first meeting (about a month ago), Eliana asked if we could please set aside a few minutes each week for Mom to share about what she's learning at school. What fun! Every week she's the first to remind me to share. It's a wonderful test of how well I've understood what I'm reading and studying to have to explain it to an 8-year-old! I'm forced to make my comments concise, simple, and interesting ... or risk being axxed from our weekly agenda.

I'll take the challenge - any intersection between my two worlds is most welcome!