The Meeting Structure

A tight agenda is what keeps everyone engaged. Give each meeting four short parts:

1. Appreciations (3 minutes): each person names something they appreciated about another family member this week
2. Problem-solving (7 minutes): one issue the family needs to address
3. Planning (3 minutes): what is coming up this week
4. Fun closer (2 minutes): choose a family activity for the weekend

That adds up to about fifteen minutes, which is the sweet spot — long enough to get real work done, short enough that no one checks out.