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Citizenship & SocietyEagle Required

Family Life Merit Badge

Family roles, responsibilities, and communication — includes a family meeting requirement.

⏱Typical time to complete: 90 days minimum

Good fit if you like

LeadershipHelping Others

Tips for Earning This Badge

  • 1The 90-day family project requires consistency — pick a household contribution that is meaningful but sustainable.
  • 2Communicate clearly with your family about the requirements so they know what to expect and can participate.
  • 3The family meetings are a requirement — schedule them in advance rather than hoping they happen organically.
  • 4Like Personal Management, this badge cannot be rushed. Start it early.
  • 5Counselors want to hear what you learned about your family dynamics, not just that you completed the chore — be ready to reflect, not just report.
  • 6A common pitfall: picking a contribution so ambitious it quietly stops happening by week three. Something small and consistent beats something big that fizzles out.

Official Requirements

We keep this page focused on tips and what to expect, not a copy of the requirement text — requirements get revised periodically, and scouts are generally held to whichever version was current when they started the badge (the same reason Scoutbook lets you filter by pamphlet version). For the exact, current wording, check your Scoutbook record for this badge or the official page below.

Family Life on scouting.org ↗

Finding a Counselor

Ask your Scoutmaster for the council's merit badge counselor list. For popular badges, a parent in your troop may already be registered as a counselor. If your troop doesn't have one, your council's advancement chair can help connect you.

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