Monday, December 13, 2010

Family Meetings – An Antidote for Bickering and Other Annoying Behaviour in the Car! Part 1



“I want to sit there…”
“He’s on my side…”
“Mom, tell him to stop!”

Sound familiar??

Family vacations are meant to be relaxing and enjoyable but the car journey can often be anything but! A family meeting can be a great way to ensure a more successful trip.

Sit down together as a family before your next extended car ride and talk about the options available when they find somebody else’s behaviour irritating.

Pointers for a successful Family Meeting:

  • Find a calm, friendly time of the day

  • Encourage ALL family members to contribute to the discussion.

  • Designate a leader (not a boss) – kids can take turns too - to ensure everybody’s opinion is heard.

  • The job is done when all family members have agreed on the best approach to handle difficulties (no voting). This may not necessarily happen in one session!

  • Congratulate yourselves when you reach an agreement.

It’s a good idea to have a family member record the decisions made for later reference.
There's no guarantee you'll have a more peaceful car ride, but you'll have put a great method to solving family problems in motion.

See Part 2 of this series

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