All it takes for families to grow closer together is intentionality and a roadmap. The Family Meeting Guide is your roadmap. This interactive guide will walk you step-by-step through the life-changing process of having a Family Meeting. The annual tradition of a Family Meeting is a time of coming together to define and reaffirm values, share vision and self-discovery, overcome challenges and fears, and set out on a mission to fulfill all God has created you to do both individually and as a family. A new version is released annually so that you and your family can continue using the resource as your journey unfolds. The Family Meeting Guide was created with all types of families in mind because it doesn't matter what your family looks like, what challenges you might be facing, or what stage of life you are in. Your Legacy Starts Today.

The Family Meeting Handbook; is a step-by-step guide for parents on how to hold Family Meetings that: prevent problems keep parents up to date give children a say build the family unit improve communication plan fun activities When Family Meetings are recommended to parents, there is often little guidance. Parents have questions. The Family Meetings Handbook's easy question-and-answer format helps parents conduct meetings that build relationships and communication at the same time. For an easy reference book with stories, examples, tips and much more, use the Family Meetings Handbook."

Based on the personal experience of a family counselor and parent, this handbook for parents describes the technique of "Family Meetings," a way of bettering family relationships, solving problems, and nurturing opportunities for children to learn fairness, respect, and self-esteem. The key principle of such family meetings is that family decisions are made by everyone's agreement. A key outcome is the reduction in the number of times parents have to say "no" to their children. Contents of the handbook provide guidelines for holding family meetings, discuss family meetings in different types of families, relate anecdotes about family problems and the use of family meetings to resolve the problems, discuss the use of the family meeting notebook, and offer hints and suggestions about the range and type of issues parents would like to and/or be obliged to deal with in the meetings. Also included in the handbook are games and activities for use in family meetings and a 17-page annotated bibliography citing related resources. (RH)

Family meetings are proven ways to involve everyone-kids and adults-in planning, solving problems, creating traditions, and staying close. This inviting book makes family meetings meaningful, manageable, and fun for everyone. Includes 52 agendas and many write-on pages.

For twenty-five years, Positive Discipline has been the gold standard reference for grown-ups working with children. Now Jane Nelsen, distinguished psychologist, educator, and mother of seven, has written a revised and expanded edition. The key to positive discipline is not punishment, she tells us, but mutual respect. Nelsen coaches parents and teachers to be both firm and kind, so that any child–from a three-year-old toddler to a rebellious teenager–can learn creative cooperation and self-discipline with no loss of dignity. Inside you’ll discover how to • bridge communication gaps • defuse power struggles • avoid the dangers of praise • enforce your message of love • build on strengths, not weaknesses • hold children accountable with their self-respect intact • teach children not what to think but how to think • win cooperation at home and at school • meet the special challenge of teen misbehavior “It is not easy to improve a classic book, but Jane Nelson has done so in this revised edition. Packed with updated examples that are clear and specific, Positive Discipline shows parents exactly how to focus on solutions while being kind and firm. If you want to enrich your relationship with your children, this is the book for you.” –Sal Severe, author of How to Behave So Your Children Will, Too! Millions of children have already benefited from the counsel in this wise and warmhearted book, which features dozens of true stories of positive discipline in action. Give your child the tools he or she needs for a well-adjusted life with this proven treasure trove of practical advice.

Clementine's having a nervous breakdown. The FAMILY MEETING! sign is up in her house, and she just knows she's in trouble for something. Has she been too mean to her little brother? Too sloppy? Eating too much junk food? Try as she might to find out what's on the agenda, her parents won't reveal anything before the meeting. As far as Clementine is concerned, the agenda should be something like: "We're getting a gorilla." But no, it's something entirely different. "We're talking about a new baby," says her father. "A brother or sister for you two. What do you think about that?" NO THANKS! is what Clementine thinks. After all, four is the perfect number for a family. There are four sides to a table, not five. Will Clementine learn to make room for one more? Readers will chuckle at Clementine's unique perspective on the age-old issue of sibling rivalry.

Family meetings are amazing opportunities for Parents and children to discuss important issues, strengthen communication, reinforce values, and nurture positive relationships.One challenge we have found that limits families form having family meetings is that they don't know what to discuss and how to structure these meetings.This Guide will help you build a plan and structure your family meetings in a way that it gives more value and achieves the aim each time it holds. This can be used as a disciplinary tool and as well as serve as a reminder to the children and parents on what their family stands for.

Most couples — because they watch so many of their peers divorce and are themselves the products of failed marriages — don't have many successful long-term-relationship role models. Parenting and communication issues are perennial, while some challenges, like increasingly 24-7 work lives and economic hardships, mark the current decade. Despite all this, psychotherapist and clinical social worker Marcia Naomi Berger asserts that most couples can make love last — they just need to learn how. Berger answers this need with a deceptively simple prescription: have an interruption-free thirty-minute (or even shorter) meeting each week and follow an agenda that includes the kind of appreciation and planning for fun that foster intimacy and pave the way for collaborative conflict resolution. Berger has refined these techniques while working with hundreds of couples — with results that are both practical and profound.

A Powerful Approach to Bringing God's Grace to Kids Did you know that the way we deal (or don't deal) with our kids' misbehavior shapes their beliefs about themselves, the world, and God? Therefore it's vital to connect with their hearts--not just their minds--amid the daily behavior battles. With warmth and grace, Jim and Lynne Jackson, founders of Connected Families, offer four tried-and-true keys to handling any behavioral issues with love, truth, and authority. You will learn practical ways to communicate messages of grace and truth, how to discipline in a way that motivates your child, and how to keep your relationship strong, not antagonistic. Discipline is more than just a short-term attempt to modify your child's actions--it's a long-term investment to help them build faith, wisdom, and character for life. When you discover a better path to discipline, you'll find a more well-behaved--and well-believed--kid.

After more than two decades and over two thousand presentations, my interactions with parents reveal that although most want to learn and parent their best, they feel ill-equipped. Kids don’t come with manuals. The goal of this book is to equip and empower you as a parent, grandparent, or youth leader to help kids navigate all aspects of life in the current culture. How do we sift through the unending philosophies on parenting and be intentional in how we choose what’s best for our family? The number of voices is overwhelming. This book distills the essential elements of parenting so you can apply them in your own home. It approaches parenting from a Christian perspective and is filled with practical advice that is applicable to everyone. As we explore the foundations of parenting, we will look at: Parenting. What are the stages of parenting? What is the current state of parenting? What is the purpose of parenting? Parenting styles. What are they and which ones should I be using? What might I need to alter about my current parenting style? Progression of parenting. What are the skills our children need to learn? Time. What does quality time and being present with my kids look like? Communication. How can I gain better communication skills so that I can more effectively connect with my kids? Discipline. How do I effectively discipline my children? Family discipleship. Why is our worldview important, and how we can raise kids with a Christian worldview? Mental Health. How do we address issues like anxiety, panic attacks, and depression? Engaging the Culture. How do we empower our kids to engage the culture around us without compromising their faith? Media. How can we help our kids navigate technology? Sexuality. How do we direct our kids towards healthy sexuality? Pornography. What is the prevalence of pornography and how do we address its impact on our kids? Dating. How do we best avoid pitfalls in dating? Finances and education. How can we help our children make sound financial and education choices? Drugs and alcohol. What tools are available to assist in drug-proofing our kids? Loneliness. How do we prevent disconnection in our kids and help them to create community?