Smarkle

The Journal

Retreats and forms

Where do we step back and look closely?

Every essay on Retreats and forms, strongest first. Each answers one real question, then gives you one thing to try this week.

A husband and wife sit close at a kitchen table in the evening, a notebook open between them, sharing a warm look over coffee.

Some things only come into focus when you step back.

  1. The weekThe huddle
  2. The quarterA parents' retreat
  3. The yearThe vision gathering

9 essays

  1. How do we run a quick weekly family check-in with kids? The Weekly Family Huddle in Fifteen Minutes Fifteen minutes, the same time each week, is enough to make a family feel like a team.
  2. How do we prepare as a family for the new school year? A Back-to-School Planning Night Plan the season together, and the first busy weeks happen with you, not to you.
  3. How do we plan our family calendar for the year? Planning the Family Calendar Without Overloading It Put the big stones in first, and the busy things will settle around them.
  4. How do I talk to my family when something serious happens? Gathering the Family in a Crisis In a crisis, honest words and a simple plan steady a family more than silence.
  5. What should we talk about on a yearly parents getaway? An Annual Parents' Retreat Agenda Rest first and celebrate the year, and the plans that follow will be kinder.
  6. How do we do a year in review with our family? A Family Year in Review Night A year remembered together becomes a story everyone gets to keep.
  7. How do parents plan a retreat to talk about their family? How to Hold a Quarterly Parents' Retreat Step away from the house once a season, and you can finally see the family.
  8. How do I check in on how my child is doing overall? A Thrive Check-In: How Each Child Is Really Doing You can only help with what you have noticed, so notice each child on purpose.
  9. What questions should I ask my child every birthday? The Birthday Interview: Same Questions Every Year Ask the same questions every birthday, and the answers will tell you who they are becoming.

Retreats and forms

See where your family already stands

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