When you notice a lot of fussy fights, grumbling and complaining going on around the house, it's time to find out what the problems are and how to fix it.

For this to work, any member of the family can request a Round Table. Here are the rules.

Each time you call a round table, it should be held in the same room, every time. Each member of the family finds a comfortable seat. Then you decide who goes first. Draw cards, if you can't settle on which one of you gets to talk first.

Each member get their turn before the Round Table is finished.  Each member in turn, has the floor. While this member is airing their gripes, nobody is to interrupt. Just listen until that member is finished with what they have to say.

When he or she is finished, they sit down. Then each member, one after another, following around the room in a circle, gives their opinion. When voicing your opinion, you simply make suggestions about what you think the solution is. You don't argue with the speaker. This is not the time to bring up your own complaints. The entire family will stay on the subject brought up by the speaker, and only that subject, until a solution is found.

Then following around the room in a circle, each member gets a turn to air their complaints. Again, all members will stick only to the subject brought up by the speaker.

During this process, the members are held to a strict rule of 'no interrupting'. They will get their turn.

Even if the complaint is 'I'm sick and tired of little sister dumping her dirty clothes on my bedroom floor' or 'I've had it with the kids running through the kitchen, while I'm trying to prepare dinner'. Regardless of the complaint, it is to be treated with respect and a solution found among the members.

Establish new rules, to confront these complaints. Write them down and post them on the refrigerator, to make sure everyone remembers the new rules.

Having ones complaints listened to and resolved, even if it's only through a new household rule, makes each family member feel important and solves a lot of bickering.

As silly as all this sounds, it works. It's a way of handling family problems in a business like manner, causing each member to view the family in a more organized way.

Give it a try, the next time you hear that unhappy noise down the hall. You just might discover a new weapon to use against family strife.