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Providence area 10-year-old Mikey Randall confessed Tuesday morning that he remains unsure whether his father’s announcement that he would be routinely arriving home from work at 5:00 instead of 4:30 really warranted the family meeting it received the previous night.
When Mike’s father told his family halfway through dinner that he expected them to remain at the kitchen table after they were finished eating, Mikey had “high hopes” for the evening. Given past family meeting subjects, Mikey said he was expecting something along the lines of a new sibling or pet.
Instead, the family meeting consisted of father James Randall’s announcement that he was going to have to start putting in a little more time at the office if he wanted a shot at that promotion next month.
“Something so brief and inconsequential doesn’t deserve a family meeting,” Mikey complained. “That’s what Post-Its on the fridge are for.”
“We’re a busy family," continued Mikey. "I’ve got soccer practice, playdates and schoolwork. When I’m done with my dinner, I need to be excused from the table ASAP. I can’t be waiting around for every little thing. Don’t call a family meeting if you can’t deliver. What’s next, you’re changing the sheets on your bed? Please.”
Mikey expressed concern that his father would never recover his original magic touch for family meetings. “Give me the days of ‘We’re moving to a new city.’ Give me the days of ‘Grandma’s dead.’ I remember when a family meeting actually meant something.”
When questioned, Randall maintained the necessity of the meeting. “Family meetings are an meaningful time for the Randall clan to touch base about important issues.”
Added Randall, “If he’s really so upset, he can always call a family meeting to work things out.”
