All those in favor...

One of the best ways to unite your family and help children learn how to govern themselves is by giving them a voice in family council. I participated in a life-changing series of conference calls this year with Tiffany Earl and Aneladee Milne LEMI Parent Mentoring. In one conference call about what it means to be a warrior, Tiffany explained that holding family councils regularly is an excellent way to combat the "fiery darts" (see Ephesian 6:16) that can penetrate the family unit.

In a family council, each member has the opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns. By keeping the communication lines OPEN and discussing issues as they come up, you strengthen relationships and give children the skills to self-government.

Tiffany shared that when her family goes out together, inevitably someone comments on how close their family is or how much they seem to love each other. She attributes it entirely to her family always holding family councils.

We held our first ever family council two weeks ago about doing chores. My husband led the meeting and we tried REALLY hard to let them talk. It was amazing to watch them decide what works best for them and agree to ideas that they might otherwise have been opposed to. We had a family dinner the following Sunday and didn't get a chance to meet as a family. I learned that follow-up is KEY to success. Good thing we learn from failures as well as successes! All in favor say, "Aye!"