5 Ways to Make Family Meetings Fun (Yes, Really!)

5 Ways to Make Family Meetings Fun (Yes, Really!)

Family? Meeting? Fun?! Those words together sound like a joke, right? If you have no issues with your family, congrats! If you enjoy meetings, well, I'm sorry for you. For the rest of us, "family meeting" brings fear, doubt, and that crazy laugh you do when you're on the edge of insanity.

But guess what? You can turn a stressful meeting into a fun one. Here are five ways to do it:

1. Bribery Works Bring treats your family can't resist. Ice cream, fine chocolates, pastries—whatever makes everyone happy. Movie theater-style candy boxes are a hit too. No need to tie a story to the chocolate with nuts reminding you of crazy cousin Ed. Food is magic. It makes meetings better. So grab your favorite coffee and pastries, add cheese to the burger, and make it special. Let's do this!
2. Diffuse the Tension It's likely awkward and intense at first. Just call it out: "Well, this is awkward!" Hopefully, someone chuckles. Try a joke about an awkward past moment: "It hasn't been this tense since Grandma brought up politics at Thanksgiving!" Diffusing the situation helps everyone relax. Why do speeches start with jokes? Because they work! So bring your best material or ask AI for a joke.
3. Explain Your Struggle Share your fears and struggles first. This sets an example and shows you're not there to control the meeting. “I am really afraid of not having a plan for when mom or dad has a medical emergency”.  You're in it together, shoulder to shoulder, leading the way to find a solution that works for everyone.
4. Share Funny Family Memories We've all got funny family memories. Talk about a terrible meal you had together. Yes, it might seem awkward, but it works.  "Remember when Tom had to go to the hospital and Mom forgot one of us at home?" Use these memories to transition into serious topics. It's more fun than staring at each other in silence.
5. Walk-Up Music Let's have some fun! If you're into sports, you know baseball players have walk-up songs. Pick a song to play before each topic. Talking about Mom and Dad doing a will? "Taking Care of Business" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Discussing aging plans? "RESPECT" by Aretha Franklin. Family strife? "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge. Nursing home talk? "Movin' on Up" by Ja'net DuBois.

I hope these tips help make your family meetings a bit more fun. If we can get together and talk, good things will happen. If not, progress stalls. So shake it up, get that speaker out, and always know... you can do this!