Simple Family Meeting Agenda Ideas (Free Printable)

In this post, you will find what to discuss during Family Meetings and also can download your own family meeting agenda to make meetings run smoothly.

Originally written: October 8, 2019 Updated: February 5, 2025

On Sundays after dinner, there is laughter, discussion, and a whole lot of noise. It has become one of my favorite days of the week and although my kids wouldn’t admit it, I think they enjoy it as well. Who wouldn’t want to voice their opinion on rules? Or play an epic game of Outfoxed?

As kids go from dependent little babies to strong-willed toddlers to outspoken kids to opinionated teenagers who all have very different likes, dislikes, and thoughts, it’s important that they get to express who they are. The safest place for them to do this is in their own home. With you, their parents.

Family meetings provide this space. They offer structure, connection, and a chance for everyone’s voice to be heard.

Research shows that kids who grow up with clear boundaries feel more secure and loved. But giving them the chance to make choices within those boundaries isn’t permissive, it’s empowering. It teaches them agency, responsibility, and problem-solving skills that will serve them for a lifetime.

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The absolutely best way to accomplish this is to have weekly or even monthly family meetings.

Start Giving Your Kids the Ability to Make Decisions

Can I ask you a hard question I often ask myself?

How can our kids grow up to make good choices if they’re never allowed to make any choices?

That one hurts for me because I tend to be an over-controller (times a thousand). We are parenting people who will become adults. Our focus shouldn’t be to only have kids who are “good” and always “well behaved”, but adults who are kind, driven, have great leadership abilities and who are able to support themselves. This all starts with giving them room to make their own decisions.

Family meetings create a space where kids feel valued, where structure and connection go hand in hand, and where everyone has a voice. Research consistently shows that children thrive when they grow up with clear, loving boundaries. These limits don’t restrict them; they give them a sense of security and belonging.

Within those boundaries, kids also need opportunities to make choices, contribute ideas, and take ownership of family life.

It’s empowerment.

Family Meetings are very important and useful. They allow kids to have some “skin in the game”, which in turn, helps them make better choices. They tend to feel valued so they behave better in front of you and when not in front of you, which is crucial! The question then is, “What do we talk about or do?” Coming up with a Family Meeting Agenda that you use at every meeting can really help!

Bonus! Sign up for the Raising Kids With Purpose Newsletter and receive The Family Meeting Agenda for FREE!

What to Put on Your Family Meeting Agenda

We keep our family meetings structured but efficient, ensuring they stay engaging and productive. Our basic framework keeps things short, focused, and (mostly) drama-free.

Topics of Discussion

Each week, we address any concerns, new rules, or issues that need a family discussion. This helps everyone feel heard and involved in creating solutions. For example, in recent meetings, our topics have included:

• Solving Sibling Conflicts – The kids came up with a strategy to handle arguments and disagreements before they escalate. We revisited our fighting rules so they can solve conflicts without involving a parent.
• Independence & Responsibilities – As they get older, they’re gaining more freedom, which means more responsibility. We set expectations for how they’ll handle time at the skatepark (checking in, coming home on time, being aware of younger siblings, and setting boundaries with friends).
• Screen Time & Self-Regulation – We had an open discussion on how much screen time feels right for each of them, how to recognize when it’s too much, and why it’s important to take breaks. They also brainstormed ways to self-monitor their use (like setting a timer and using the parental controls app).
• Chores & Household Contributions – Instead of constant nagging, we set up a zone cleaning so everyone knows what needs cleaned and when. They even watched the lesson with me from Chelsi Jo’s Systemize Your Life program!
• Planning for the Week Ahead – We take a few minutes to go over any upcoming activities, school projects, or events so we don’t forget anything!

You can grab your own Fighting Rules poster here if this is something you’re working on in your family too! It’s never-ending reminders in this house!

This structure keeps our meetings productive while giving the kids a say in family decisions. Adjusting the agenda based on their ages and responsibilities ensures that they stay relevant, engaging, and developmentally appropriate.

Read Next: 18 Ways to Help Your Child Calm Down

Calendar Check-In

One of the most valuable parts of our family meeting is reviewing the calendar for the upcoming week. This helps everyone stay on the same page with events, responsibilities, and special plans.

What We Go Over:

• Upcoming Events – Birthdays, holidays, school activities, and family commitments
• Extracurricular Activities – Practices, games, rehearsals, and club meetings
• Family & Social Plans – Date nights, outings, or visits with friends and relatives
• Personal Responsibilities – Major school assignments, work shifts, or appointments

My husband and I love this part because it eliminates confusion and miscommunication. While I send him calendar invites, they don’t always get seen (or accepted), so reviewing everything together prevents last-minute surprises.

The kids also benefit from seeing what’s coming up so they’re more prepared, and we avoid, “You never told me about this!”

On the Family Meeting Agenda I created, there’s a dedicated spot to fill in the days of the week, making it easy to keep track of everything in one place.

Word of the Week

Our middle child loves to learn new words.

We pick a word from a “words to make you sound smarter” list or “words to study for the SAT”, discuss the meaning and try to use it throughout the week.

Back when I first wrote this, our word was aberration. My oldest, who had a ton of energy and sometimes struggled with behavior at school (to be honest, not much has changed since then), came up with a sentence completely on his own:

“It is an aberration for me to get a treasure box in my gifted class.”

And honestly… he wasn’t wrong! But what happened next was even better. This simple vocabulary exercise sparked a meaningful conversation about the choices he makes at school, how he can advocate for himself, and ways to work with his teacher to navigate hard stuff.

This isn’t something I originally planned to include in our Family Meeting Agenda, but it turned out to be a powerful way for him to open up about what’s happening in his life. We still love learning new words. They should be super prepared for the SAT when the time comes 😉.

The Skill of the Week

Each week, every family member chooses a personal skill to focus on. It’s a simple way to encourage growth, self-awareness, and accountability without pressure or perfection.

Some recent skills we’ve worked on include:

• Managing Anger – Practicing calming strategies and recognizing triggers
• Resisting the Urge to Correct Others – Learning when to let things go (especially with siblings!)
• Being Present – Keeping phones away during family time, especially at the dinner table! Although only my teenager currently has a phone and we don’t have any plans to get the other two one any time soon.
• Building Healthy Habits – Committing to consistent workouts at the gym and walks around the neighborhood.

By setting these personal goals together, we create a supportive environment where everyone can challenge themselves, reflect on progress, and encourage each other. It’s amazing to see how small, intentional changes can make a big difference in our daily lives!

Say Something Nice

Before we wrap up our family meeting, we take a moment to go around the room and share something nice about each other.

This could be:

• An appreciation – “I really liked how you played catch with me in the backyard this week.”
• A compliment – “You’re really funny, and I love how you make us laugh.”
• A recognition of effort – “I noticed you worked really hard at your soccer game, and that was awesome!”

The only rule? It has to be positive (and no comments about poop or other bodily functions! 😆).

It’s a small habit, but it helps strengthen our connection as a family. Even if someone is having a tough week, hearing a kind word can remind them they are seen, valued, and loved

Read Next: Why Praise Doesn’t Work to Motivate Kids and What You Can Do Instead

Fun Activity

Family meetings aren’t just about discussions and planning. They should include some fun, too! Create memories of togetherness.

Most weeks, we incorporate a game during the meeting, but sometimes we like to end with an activity to keep things light and connected. Some of our favorites include:

• Play a board game – Something short and fun, like Carcassaconne, Chronology, Telestrations, or a round of charades.
• Ride bikes – A great way to get outside and move together.
• Shoot hoops or play catch hoops or playing catch
• Dance to fun music – Because sometimes, you just need to turn up the music and have fun!

Ending with something enjoyable keeps the family meeting from feeling like a chore and reinforces that spending time together can be something to look forward to!

Read Next: Here are some fun games referred to me by my Facebook Followers!

Other Agenda Item Ideas:

Instead of being broad with “topics of discussion”, you can specifically name what it is that you want to talk about every week. There are also additional “line items” that can be added to best fit your family.

Challenges and solutions | These can be challenges individuals are facing or challenges that are happening within the family.

Concerns for others in the family | Someone may be dealing with sadness or anger causing other family members to be concerned. With this one, be sure to address the problem and not to attack the person.

Meal planning | The whole family can get involved in what they want to eat for the week!

Open discussion | This can be a time when family members address anything that happens to be on their minds.

Things to celebrate/Things to fix | Was there a birthday, or something exciting happening at school or at a sport? Celebrate it! This can also be a time to find things that didn’t go quite well and come up with solutions on how to fix them.

Discipline tools and or strategies | You can introduce new rules at this time or ways certain situations will be handled in the future.

Conversation starters | By asking a question like, “What kind of superhero would you be?” can lighten the mood of the meeting. These kinds of questions are fun to hear what our kids come up with to get a better insight into who they are.

Something good and something bad | I’ve heard families call this Sweet and Sour or Highs and Lows. It’s a time when everyone thinks of something positive that happened the week before and also something that wasn’t a great experience.

Service or acts of kindness | The best way to teach our kids empathy is to get out and serve. Collecting items and donating money really benefits organizations. While kids are young though, they need to tangibly see the difference they are making. Seeing a person’s expression when they help out will help create a more compassionate person.

Memories made that week | We also write down fun activities or events that happened that week in our Monthly Memories sheet. You can grab your free Year of Monthly Memories Printable here!

Free Family Meeting Agenda

Our family uses this agenda weekly! We printed a bunch out, three-hole-punched those suckers and put them in a pretty binder. My kids take turns running the meeting so this agenda makes it very easy for them.

What is On Your Family Meeting Agenda?

Have you started to have family meetings? If so, what benefits have you started seeing? Do you have any additional ideas on how to run a Family meeting? I would love to hear from you!! Comment below.

Originally published Nov 1, 2018, and updated Oct 8, 2019

Adriane (Raising Kids With Purpose)

Hello!!! I’m Adriane. I’m a mom to three loud boys, am a research-a-holic and very passionate person who writes at Raising Kids With Purpose. Parenting can feel so hard sometimes but with mindset shifts and understanding, it can be very enjoyable. My hope is to inspire parents like you to create lifelong connections with your children and enjoy the journey along the way!