You have questions!
We are back to in person events, camp, and retreats. There are so many questions Kara has received about how to handle challenges of kids who have essentially missed developmental time of interacting in person to person group environments.
There are questions and concerns from parents and kids around boundaries, how rooming situations are being handled, how to handle the fact that so many kids have phones and cameras, along with access to social media.
How do we as a community, define and navigate social rules and expectations around information sharing, privacy, and respect of boundaries, to have healthy relationships?
What has shifted?
The pandemic increased technology access for many, and forced isolation while significantly reducing in person contact, and enabling more connections online, through instant messaging, social media, and texting.
Kids gained time and access to the world of information available on the internet and as part of Kara's teaching, she's noticed a shift in the questions.
Overall, kids are more aware, at a younger age, and asking more questions that indicate a curiosity and awareness, but not always an understanding, of topics around identity, orientation and relationships.
Why is this series important?
The five courses in this series help you open the door to deeper conversations and build the foundation for healthy relationships to grow.
When we have challenges, conflict and potentially more difficult topics to discuss, these introductory conversations can serve as an example of how we are able to raise discussion, share perspectives & concerns, and come to agreements and next steps.
When we have a mutual understanding and shared history of sharing open dialogue, we are establishing safe spaces where respectful, honest and safe conversations can occur.
Digital Citizenship
How do we talk with our youth about responsible use of technology? What does it looks like when we have open conversation and discussion about what we are comfortable with, what would be hurtful, and what behaviors we agree on?
Consent
What are ways we can talk about consent with youth? Asking for and getting agreement with each other is an important part of learning how to build respect for each other and themselves. What does this look like in a group environment?
Identity and Orientation
Who we are and who we are drawn to - it's a big part of growing up and as we work with kids entering and in puberty, how do we navigate the knowing, learning and changing happening at all different times and paces for kids as they mature.
Boundaries
We learn about people and their boundaries by being together. With so many overnight trips and events canceled over the pandemic, many kids have not had group experiences. How do we teach them to understand, verbalize and respect the boundaries of others.
Healthy Relationships
Healthy relationships take work! How do we help teens understand and foster healthy relationships with each other? How do they define healthy relationships and how do you help them establish expectations and a way to communicate concerns?