https://blog.dc4k.org | ljacobs@dc4k.org

Question of the week: Do single parents need family meetings? Should children’s ministers encourage them?

 
 

DC4K-SP family meetings

I’ve heard church leaders question the necessity of family meetings for single-parent homes. Some have even asked, “Aren’t these broken homes, so what good would family meetings do?”

When it comes to single-parent families, there are some broken homes, and there are emotionally and spiritually healthy homes. Both types can benefit from holding family meetings.

10 reasons to encourage family meetings in single-parent homes

  1. Family meetings in a newly divorced home help the parent and child connect.
  2. They help the parent and children deepen their relationships and create stronger bonds in their home.
  3. Family meetings shout, “We are a family, and we can do this!”
  4. They help the children feel like they belong to something greater than themselves.
  5. They are a place where children learn deep interactions with the people they love.
  6. They are a place where children feel like they belong.
  7. Family meetings say to a child, “You matter.”
  8. Family meetings can be a time for family problem-solving.
  9. When the parent and children gather together in a family meeting, they create a community and bond in family harmony.
  10. Family meetings can be fun when the family comes together to plan recreational activities and vacations.

Building family strengths

In DivorceCare for Kids (DC4K), parents are handed a “Parent Page” each week, and the same page is in the DivorceCare workbook. We strongly encourage divorcing families to take the time to develop their own family meetings.

Suggestions on how to have family meetings

These suggestions are from the DC4K Parent Page, Session One. Share them with the single parents connected to your ministry.

  • Find a place in your home that feels comfortable, warm, and safe.
  • Tell the children that this will be your meeting place, and decide how often you will meet.
  • Discuss the fears each family member has.
  • Brainstorm ways to overcome these fears.
  • Take notes in a journal, and date them. Later you will be able to look back and see the progress your family is making.

 

DC4K blogs posts are great to use for training children’s leaders and volunteers and they are free.  Subscribe to the DC4K blog here.

Want to learn more about how to start a DivorceCare for Kids group for the hurting children in your community? Click here.

Did you know DC4K blog articles are on Pinterest? Divorce & Kids, Children’s Pastors, Single Parents, etc. It’s all there. Check it out here

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