Family Meeting Form

Parenting is the most important job we’ll ever do and yet children come without a manual – or a money-back option! This parent guide is an extract from Dr John Irvines’ book "Who’d be a parent? The manual that should have come with the kids!" Dr John Irvine is one of Australia’s most heard and read child psychologists.

To print or download this guide, click here.

Check business from last week to see how it all worked out and what needs more attention.

Pay Up (Pocket Money)

Pocket money dues are paid from pocket money sheet.

Car Cover

Find out and coordinate transport for what everyone’s got on over the next week.

Next Weeks Specials

Any special jobs needing to be done over the next week and any special things coming up at school or work that others need to know about.

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Code Breaches

Code breaches means a review of the rules over the past week to see how they worked and what areas need tidying up.

Code Corrections

Cover new conduct rules and consolidate into written form so everyone knows what’s involved.

Other Business

Any odds and ends or any beefs about other individuals that need to be aired. If it only involves one or two people then perhaps it can be sorted out after the meeting.

Family Meeting Rules

Choose a night once per week when everyone can be home and try hard to keep that the regular night, no matter what, for the family meeting.

Make the night a take-away, finger food or even cheap eat-out night so domestic kitchen staff can attend. Maybe start or finish with an activity everyone enjoys (eg a game of cards).

Preset a finishing time and get someone to keep notes on decisions made-if others don’t want to do this job they can’t complain if it’s recorded the wrong way.

Make the time light and easy, but have a rule that anyone trying to take the mickey out of the meeting can be silently suspended and has no further say in decisions that night and has to put up with decisions made by others.

Make sure that everyone feels this time each week is for everyone to find out what’s happening, to collect their dues and settle complaints. It’s not just for Mum and Dad to dish out the discipline or load them with lectures.

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Pocket Money Chart

These tips are my little effort to help parents regain some confidence and regain some easy authority in their kid’s lives. So who’d be a parent? I hope that you wouldn’t swap it and that your kids know it!

To download or print this Parent Guide 1. Click here Family Meeting Form
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