Fear of Missing Out

Today we talked about a common problem among girls of all ages, the fear of missing out.  This could be a friend innocently inviting another friend to spend time together without you, or a very deliberate move intended to hurt you and published on social media.  The trick is learning how to handle this concern in a way that doesn't ruin good friendships.  The best way to counteract this behavior is:

1. Not doing it ourself!  Be wise about what you publish on social media (not posting pictures with "All my besties!") or what you talk about in the company of those that weren't included.
2. Realizing that our friends are allowed to have other friends!  But also talking to them when our feelings are hurt by a specific situation.

We hope this discussion helped because we have ALL been there!

We also watched this video about the danger of cyber bullying:

And, finally, the quote of the day:

Love, Miss Sheets, Mrs. Gasson and Mrs. Krugh :)

Compliment Sandwhich

This week we learned how valuable the art of a "Compliment Sandwich" can be when communicating, especially about a tough topic.  See below for your own example!

We also practiced this with different scenarios that happen at school, lunch, or home.  Ask your daughter for a demo!

Post for Parents: Online Safety

Just as we have been talking about using our words appropriately with the girls in class, we acknowledge that there is a whole world where tone of voice is EASILY misconstrued.  So this post is for you, parents, and deals with the tricky world of internet communication. 

From "The Greater Good," we found tips in an article called, 'How to Keep Your Child Safe (and Happy) Online.  (Full text available here).

The article highlights five principles that help students not avoid yucky people online, but also make wise choices to promote their own safe, positive community.  Two of the best in my opinion are :

1. Establish regular periods of time for your whole family to be unplugged.  The tricky part is modelling this!  But experts believe that the constant need some feel to be 'plugged in' can cause anxiety and even depression.  The article suggests creating a zone in your house, like the dining room, that is 100% device free 24-hrs a day. 

2. Teach kids to always know their online community. They should know every single one of the people that they are “friends” with or that is “following” them, without exception.  And they should be aware of this audience and how all of their words/ actions could be conveyed to each follower.

Good luck, parents!  We appreciate all you do to support our sweet girls.

By the way, how great is this quote on raising girls from the lovely Diane Von Furstenberg?!

 

The Power of Words

Today we finished our role play activity with how to act appropriately and use our words effectively.

Mrs. Krugh also did an activity where she had a cutout of a girl that she crinkled up everytime someone did/ said something mean.  After all was said and done, she showed that even if you take back your mean words or apologize for hurtful actions, the doll could never really be unwrinkled or untorn.

It was a great way to illustrate the power of words.  Parents, ask your daughters how we demonstrated this same concept with toothpaste, too!!  ;)


Love, Miss Sheets, Mrs. Gasson, and Mrs. Krugh :)

Selfies

Mom and girls:  Check out this great video on "Selfies" as a way of redefining beauty.  Love it!

Friendship Fouls

After yesterday's discussion on using our voice effectively, we wanted to practice a little more.  Today we acted out typical social situations, some where we were using our voice effectively, and others where we weren't.

To illustrate, we each got in groups to act out a situation.  The group had to demonstrate how to handle the situation without hurting anyone's feelings.  These included how to handle a friend who can be a "Queen Bee" (always wanting her way) and a "Back Out Friend" (the one who always changes her mind after making a commitment to spend time with you.

We closed with this quote to remind us how to be a good, kind friend and classmate.

 

See you next week!  Love, Miss Sheets, Mrs. Gasson & Mrs. Krugh :)

Setting Boundaries and Body Language

Today we reviewed the importance of some of our AWARE skills- body language, personal space, sarcasm, tone of voice, and volume. It is our job as a girl to be in charge and use our body language and communication for good!

We also watched this video from Dove and talked about the way we perceive ourselves and how that can effect communication.

We wrapped up by playing a game to talk about some of the effects of making poor choices with the way we communicate through our personal space, posture, and more.  Be sure to ask your girls about their challenge for today!