Kelley the Counselor
Weekly Check In
Week 4- Navigating Relationships
Hello Renbrook students and families!
I hope everyone had a nice, long weekend! I made sure to spend time with my family and do some of the activities that I planned out last week!
This week, I want to focus on relationships at home. For some of us, we may or may not notice a change. For others, we may notice ourselves getting easily frustrated with those we love and arguing over things that didn't bother us previously. While we are not getting out of the house much and having other social interaction only through technology, our relationships at home may be affected or strained. Think of your family like a team you may have played on- we each have unique group dynamics. Like sports or actors in a production, each family member plays an important, but different, role in contributing to the group dynamic. And those roles change or evolve over time. Your role in your family as a teenager is different than it was when you were a toddler and will be different again when you leave home for college and/or a job. If you have brothers or sisters, they too and your parent(s) have evolving roles in the family dynamic.
We have all been home now for several weeks, and while it may have been more enjoyable early on, things have begun to settle in as we are now in more of a groove with distance learning. With mounting concerns about COVID-19 consequences, pressures are building up worldwide and likely within your family group dynamic. Sharing space, computers, TV, food, and all day/evening can take its toll. You’ll need new skills to navigate this new terrain. And you’ll need to work effectively with your family to get through it all. It is important that you are aware of your own feelings during this time and share that with those around you. While many of us might wish we could read minds, sadly we cannot and therefore we must be vocal about our feelings. Working together is essential in order to make sure that everyone at home feels supported and valued. Be patient, be kind, be present, and listen to those sharing your space.
Good luck this week and remember- we are all in this together!
Investing in Your Relationships
Try this-
Checking In With Your Own Feelings
Re-create this chart and fill it out!
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Contact Me
Email: kreiss@renbrook.org
Website: https://teams.microsoft.com/_#/conversations/?ctx=chat
Location: Renbrook School, Albany Avenue, West Hartford, CT, USA