How can a family reduce stress during this time of uncertainty? What can help keep or bring happiness to your family during the COVID-19 crisis or anytime?
In the third post in this series, I shared how to build the method (a format) for creating a sense of oneness. In this, the fourth post in the series, I will share some of the procedures to make your new family system go!
First, adding a calendar next to your task board is a good idea. Update this calendar to show sports practices and competitions, business trips, vacations, house guests and ad-hoc activities like birthday parties or sleepovers. Family members are encouraged to add to the calendar before the Family Stand-Up begins (our next step).
The daily Family Stand-Up is important because it helps reduce any strife because of unclear expectations. Because individual work success is made clear in this daily meeting, it’s easy for the group to see if any member has not met their commitment to the group.
This meeting takes place after dinner, except on Friday and Saturday. No one individual is the central facilitator. The family passes the role of asking and answering questions until each member has been called on. The questions asked and answered are:
*What did you do today?
*What weeklies will you promise to do tomorrow?
*Do you need any help?
*Who thinks (Name) deserves a point for today?
Only one person talks at a time. The no Friday or Saturday rule is simply for a break and avoids conflict with other activities. Any negative behavior during a family meeting results in a penalty agreed upon by the group. This happens immediately-the family waits (i.e. 10 pushups).
The Sunday night Family Stand-Up looks at the week’s performance. Each person is asked “How do you think you did this week,” as a mental shift into planning for the upcoming week (Weekly Family Planning).
Stay tuned for the fifth post in this series in which I will share what the Sunday night Weekly Family Planning meeting looks like.
