Latest Writing
Exercise
Family Meetings
"How long do we have to sit here?" asked Oliver, fidgeting on his kitchen chair. He was seven years old.My husband, Willy, opened a green notebook.
"Is this necessary? I asked, "this is not a boardroom."
"I think it is." Writing the date on the top right corner, he said, "I declare this meeting open. Does anybody have anything to say?"
Nobody spoke.
I don’t remember where the idea of family meetings came from. We probably heard it from some other parents. Now I was wondering, ‘How were we supposed to do this? Maybe it was a bad idea. The kids are way too young.’
Oliver, dangling his legs back and forth, asked, "What do you want us to say? And how much longer is this meeting going to last?"
"Until it’s adjourned."
Melanie, who was six years old and barely tall enough to reach the table without a booster seat, asked, "What’s adjourned?"
Willy explained. Then he suggested, "Let’s start with a bug."
"A bug?" echoed the kids in unison, straightening up.....
Published in: www.BackHomeMagazine.com
