Family Meeting -- Shabbat Preparations

We've been talking about it for weeks (read: months).

We finallly did it.

We sat down an hour later than I wanted to start, but we were all there.

I was surprised at how well the kids listened to each other.

I was also surprised at the choices they made.

All along, I had thought that they wanted choices. It turns out, that did not work for our family, and the kids did not like the stress that came along with all those choices.

So, the kids chose to group certain chores together, and then formed a rotation.

Moshe made a lottery, to choose who begins with which tasks. And, voila, the new system was in place!

We will re-evaluate the system in several weeks.

It took us an hour and a half (half an hour longer than planned). We had to "table" the discussion (i.e. postpone it for the next time) about exceptions to the rule (i.e. what to do when one person can't do their rotation that week).

Towards the end, some of us snapped at each other. The meeting was a little too long, and the time was a little too late, for us all.

We were all exhausted by the end.

Maybe we will institute some sort of "feel good" ritual to end these meetings. (it might be too "earthy-crunchy" for my husband, but I think it's a good idea)

Still and all, I think it was a positive experience.

We just have to fine tune it a bit.



Please daven (or send happy, healing thoughts) for RivkA bat Teirtzel.

With love and optimism,
RivkA