Family Meetings: How We Make Them Fun, Functional, and Full of Snacks
If you’re hosting family meetings (or thinking about starting), here’s a simple tip that will save your sanity and prevent future sibling showdowns: Write down what was discussed. Having a record means no more “But you said I could go to Grandma’s with no bedtime!” moments. It also gives everyone something to refer back to later—especially helpful when life gets busy (or when selective memory kicks in).
Here’s how our family does it—with kids currently 7 and 10—and how we turn “meeting time” into something they actually look forward to. Spoiler alert: it involves snacks, shopping, and a whole lot of silliness.
📋 Meeting Roles (Yes, Even the Kids Get Jobs!)
We love giving everyone a role during the meeting—it keeps things organized and makes the kids feel super important. They’ve each done every role at least once (with a little help when needed).
🧠 The Meeting Leader:
Keeps us on task and takes notes. We use The Trip Clip to build our agenda—bonus: it lets you add clipart next to the words so even early readers can follow along. (Pro tip: kids LOVE being in charge. Who knew?)
🛒 The Store Owner:
Each week, the girls get a $5 allowance—not tied to chores, but to help them learn budgeting and decision-making. I stock our “family store” with fun little finds from the Dollar Tree, Target’s dollar section, or Walmart. The store owner adds up totals, gives change, and helps their siblings decide if they want to spend, save, or donate (they can choose places like St. Jude’s or the Humane Society—surprisingly, donating is often the top pick!).
🍎 The Snack Maker:
This one takes a little prep ahead of time, but it’s a hit. The assigned kiddo plans and serves a snack during the meeting. We’ve had everything from fruit kabobs to fancy popcorn mixes—and yes, presentation counts.
🎉 The Fun Planner:
They plan a family activity to close out the meeting. Past favorites: hide and seek, board games, a trip to an indoor play center, or completely made-up games with wild rules and silly names. Creativity is key here.
💬 How We Structure the Meeting
Here’s a general flow that works well for us—adapt it to fit your crew!
- 🎊 Celebrations & Compliments
Start on a positive note. Take a few minutes to recognize each other for kind, helpful, or awesome things done during the week. (Yes, even “didn’t punch your sister” counts.) - 🗓️ The Weekly Calendar
Go over what’s coming up: work events, playdates, who’s making dinner, who’s taking the dog to the vet—you get the idea. It helps everyone feel informed (and avoids last-minute meltdowns when surprises pop up). - 📌 Family Discussion
This is where we go through anything that’s been added to our “meeting topics” list (we keep it on the fridge). Everyone gets a chance to talk. We list pros and cons, and try to agree on a solution together. Also: a quick check-in on how things are going based on previous talks—what’s working? What needs a little extra attention? - 🛍️ Shopping at the Family Store
Time to spend (or save!) that allowance. Items are labeled with prices or we just know them ahead of time. Encourage kids to think about longer-term goals or practice dividing money into spend/save/donate buckets. - 🍪 Snack Time!
The best part. Let the snack maker shine and serve their treat! - 🎲 Family Fun Time
Close it out with whatever the fun planner cooked up—this is your moment to connect, laugh, and make memories.
Download your printable Family Meeting Planner today and get started!