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101 Family Meeting Topics To Discuss With Your Kids

Looking for things to teach at your next family meeting? Here is a list of 101 family meeting topics that you can put on the agenda. (Free Printable Included!)

Family Meeting Topics | This Time Of Mine

One of our biggest jobs as parents is to teach our kids.

But finding the time to teach them all the things we want them to learn? That can be difficult.

Of course, our kids are learning from us during daily life. But wouldn’t it be nice to have dedicated time each week to talk about the important things in a little more detail?

That’s where weekly family meetings come in.

Family meetings are a powerful way to get the whole family on the same page – with schedules, budgets, goals, values, and more. And they can be an excellent way for your family to grow closer together.

Family Meetings Pack | This Time Of Mine

You might already be thinking of things you’d like to discuss with your kids. Or you might be racking your brain trying to think of what you’d even talk about.

Don’t worry. Either way, I’ve got you covered.

Scroll down to find a huge list of family meeting topics to pick from. You can customize from there!

But before you do, I want your meetings to be as effective and fun as possible. So here are some tips to get you started.

Family Meeting Topics | This Time Of Mine

4 Tips For Holding A Family Meeting With Kids

The most important thing to remember for your family meetings is to keep them brief! You want to take advantage of this time, so keep wiggly bodies and short attention spans in mind. Here are a few other ways to run effective meetings:

Family Meeting Topics | This Time Of Mine
  1. Establish ground rules. A family meeting should be a safe space where everyone can learn, share and feel included. With your kids, come up with a short list of rules (no interrupting, etc.).
  2. Prepare an agenda. Whether you plan on leading the meeting or share that responsibility with one of your kids, decide beforehand what will be discussed. This also helps keep the family meeting brief and on topic.
  3. Include your kids. Involving your kids will keep them engaged and invested in your meetings. They can take turns leading the meeting, teaching a lesson, or participating in other ways.
  4. End with a fun activity. Give your kids something to look forward to at the end of each meeting, such as a treat, game, or other simple activity.

For detailed information on exactly how to prepare a simple agenda and run effective meetings head to this post: How To Hold Successful Family Meetings (In Just 3 Steps!)

A meeting with kids might sound impossible at first. But with the right tools (or snacks), you can hold family meetings with even your youngest kids. And who knows, your whole family might even grow to love them!

Family Meeting Topics | This Time Of Mine

THE ULTIMATE LIST OF FAMILY MEETING TOPICS

Here are 101 topics to choose from when planning your next family meeting. For a printable list (along with simple agenda templates), be sure to grab the free Family Meetings Kit so you can have all the tools you need right at your fingertips!

To make it easy to find exactly what topics will help your family most, they are broken into sections:

Helping Kids Learn Positive Behaviors And Good Manners

  1. How to act at the table
  2. When to use loud and quiet voices
  3. How to greet people
  4. How to be respectful when someone else is talking
  5. How to be assertive (eye contact, etc.)
  6. What behaviors are appropriate? (address whining, rough behavior, etc.)
  7. What’s the difference between tattling and asking for help?
  8. How to start a conversation with someone
  9. How to stand up for someone at school
  10. How to use mindfulness activities to calm down
  11. How to have a good, not bad attitude (optimism, doing things we don’t want to do, etc.)
  12. What is lying?
  13. How to handle fights with siblings
  14. How to apologize
  15. How to accept an apology

Discussing Family Values And Morals

  1. What to do if you hear bad things at school
  2. How to stand up to peer pressure
  3. What to do if people are being mean to someone
  4. How to be a good friend
  5. How to include people
  6. What is integrity? (Honesty when no one is looking)
  7. What is true confidence?
  8. What to do if you see bad pictures online
  9. How can you still be friendly to people you don’t want to be friends with?
  10. Why are marriage and family important?
  11. How to pray
  12. What is forgiveness and why is it important?
  13. How to treat boys or girls
  14. How to treat people who think differently than you
  15. How to treat people who look different than you
  16. Why you shouldn’t keep secrets
  17. How can we show our bodies respect?
  18. What is good language?
  19. How to encourage someone
  20. How to find the good in hard situations

Teaching Kids Important Life Skills

  1. Introduce new routines
  2. How to clean your room
  3. How to clean up the toys
  4. What is healthy food and why do we need it?
  5. How to do any other chores your family’s been struggling with lately
  6. What does it mean to be healthy? 
  7. How to clean a bathroom
  8. How to have good hygiene
  9. How affirmations can create a positive mindset
  10. What are good daily habits?
  11. How to budget money
  12. How to try something new or scary
  13. Why is money important? How can we be smart with it?
  14. How to make reading a habit
  15. Why are grooming, good dress, and hygiene important?
  16. How to come up with tricks for remembering things
  17. Have a cooking lesson!
  18. How to set the table
Family Meetings Pack | This Time Of Mine

Helping Kids Understand How To Stay Safe

  1. What to do if people are being mean to you
  2. How to choose good movies, music, books, and other media
  3. What adults are safe
  4. How to cross the street
  5. How to be safe around water
  6. How to be safe on a bike
  7. How to stand up for yourself
  8. What to do if you get lost
  9. How to respond to strangers
  10. How to disagree respectfully
  11. What to do if adults make you feel uncomfortable
  12. What to do if peers make you feel uncomfortable
  13. How to stay safe on media
  14. What is appropriate affection and touching
  15. Go over a family emergency plan
  16. Learn basic first aid

Teaching Kids About Personal Growth

  1. How to write in your journal and why you should
  2. What makes you special?
  3. Why are people the same? What makes them different? And why is that good?
  4. Set personal goals
  5. What are things that help us relax or calm down?
  6. How to practice positive thinking
  7. What should you look for in a friend?
  8. Why is it important to be creative? What is your favorite way?
  9. What is gratitude? How can we get better at it?
  10. What are small, daily ways to serve and be kind?
  11. Why is service important and how can we serve?
  12. Why is it important to try hard in school? And how can you do that?
  13. Discuss inspirational people who overcame difficulties
  14. Ask kids about problems they’re experiencing at school, then discuss how you can help

Coming Up With Family Plans

  1. Set family goals
  2. Make a plan for family time
  3. Plan a trip
  4. Set savings goals to buy something for the family
  5. What makes a happy family? What are we doing well? How can we improve?
  6. What makes good communication in the family?
  7. Introduce new family rules
  8. Talk about family rules that need work
  9. Brainstorm favorite dinners 
  10. Family activity ideas
  11. Plan one-on-one dates with parents
  12. Home project plans
  13. Holiday plans
  14. Plan a service activity
  15. Plan this week’s family activity
  16. Brainstorm ways to help someone in the family with a particular goal or struggle
  17. Plan a holiday activity
  18. Let someone teach the family how to do one of their favorite hobbies

If any of these topics require an activity (like practicing a chore or cooking), make sure to hold the lesson portion of the meeting last.

children writing

Using These Topics At Your Next Family Meeting

To make it easier to plan your meeting agenda and get your kids involved, make sure to grab the Family Meetings Kit!

Family Meetings Pack | This Time Of Mine

And for even more tips on running your next family meeting, be sure to head to this post:

What family meeting topics would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments below!

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Family Meeting Topics | This Time Of Mine
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Family Meeting Topics | This Time Of Mine

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4 Comments

  1. I’ve been trying to hold these family meetings for years and they have been sporadic and feel the family is just not interested. It’s so discouraging but year after year I try to take a step and today as I prepare once again I just happened to have found your page. Thank you for sharing this and giving me a glimmer of joy in this process. I really love what I’ve been reading. And I usually never write post but for this I was inclined.

    1. Thank you so much for sharing! You’re definitely not alone in that struggle, it’s something we all face. But it’s so inspiring to hear from parents like you who are working to keep at it, whenever and however they can! Thank goodness the meetings don’t have to be perfect to make an impact over time.

  2. Heya.
    We had a fun meeting tonight at my house. This was done in order to discuss the upcoming street party for this weekend and finances. We made some solid plans in order to save us money as well. We decided to limit the party games to one or two only instead. We will definitely also have a few cans of white or red wine with tasty chocolates and sweets in addition. All aspects were discussed.

    And we will probably also organise the party food and so on. Food will be served on oven trays. After discussion and white wine we plan on including the children as far as possible in the events of the day in question. I still have a leftover roast chicken from two weeks ago which I can use. I will see if I can find free medals to use if not a note pad will do. It will be fun.

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