Independence / Give Space
Jason gives a care package of snacks to Korah and tells her to have fun on her weekend camping trip with her friends. Is Jason giving her space and independence?
Yes, Jason is being very supportive of Korah wanting to hang out with her friends.
Jake and Juan started dating this year and already they've had two arguments. But whenever Juan brings up something Jake said during the argument, Jake says that he never said those things and Juan must not be remembering the situation correctly. Are they communicating healthily?
No, this is not an example of healthy communication. If Juan is consistently told by Jake that he's not remembering these arguments correctly, there's a chance that one of them might not be acting truthfully.
Is this respectful?
Alyssa writes a mean post online about Angela.
No!!!!
Is this a good example of healthy honesty in a friendship?
Javan disagrees with Rachael but doesn’t say anything because he’s afraid of her temper.
No, this isn't a healthy example of honesty in a relationship.
After school, Deron notices that his 6th grade son's face is puffy from crying. Deron asks his son how he feels. He then sits down and listens as his son shares about his day. Is Deron being supportive?
Heck yes! Deron is being very supportive by listening to his son and asking him how he feels.
Blake tracks his daughter's phone while she's on a date with Tre at Fazoli's. The date lasts 2 hours. When Amiah, Blake's daughter, returns home, he questions her about where she was. She says that she was at Fazoli's, but Blake doesn't believe her. Is Blake respecting her independence?
This is a tricky one. If Amiah was exactly where she said she would be and her dad doesn't believe her, then her dad is likely not respecting her independence.
Ron snaps at Lisa and tells her to quit bothering him after she cracks a joke about his haircut. Is this healthy communication?
No, it isn't. Ron should've waited until he was cooled down before telling Lisa how he feels.
Jacionn bakes cupcakes for his friend on his birthday. Is Jacionn being a dependable friend?
Yes! We all wish to have friends like Jacionn.
Unfortunately, no. Chad has insecurities that he needs to address in order to better trust others.
Deron notices that his 7th grader, Jacionn, came home from school today with a bloody nose and a bruise on his head. When questioned, Jacionn said that one of his classmates got mad at lunch and punched him outside the school. Deron says that they're going to find where this classmate lives so they can talk to the classmate's parents, even though Jacionn doesn't want to. Did Deron make the right move?
Deron made the right move by opening up the space for dialogue. Likely, the parents don't know what their child is doing and addressing the issue to the parents can ensure that the conflict doesn't escalate at school.
Jontavia doesn't allow her daughter Nell to visit Nell's boyfriend Travis on Saturday, as Travis' parents aren't home. Nell complains and says that her mother is being unfair and not giving her independence. Is Jontavia in the wrong here?
Even though Nell might not like it, Jontavia is looking out for her daughter and doesn't want her unsupervised with her boyfriend.
Latasha's boyfriend Craig cracks jokes about her new haircut during lunch. Latasha has told him that she's self-conscious about the new style, but when she brings this up to him, he gives her a hug and says that he was just joking and thinks she's beautiful. But, when lunchtime comes around, he still makes jokes about her appearance. Is this healthy?
No, this isn't healthy. Latasha shouldn't have to be okay with communicating in a way that makes her uncomfortable.
Alejandro checks in with his little brother and asks him how he's been doing. Is Alejandro being a dependable big brother?
Yes! Alejandro is checking in with his sibling, which is a great way to be a dependable friend.
A teacher spends an hour and a half telling her 4th graders about her impending divorce. Is this an example of healthy honesty in this particular relationship?
Absolutely not. The teacher's primary responsibility is to teach students. Spending class time sharing extremely personal details is not healthy for the students.
Amiah has dealt with a bully in her school for six months. When Amiah's friends learn about this bully, they tell her that they'll create burner accounts and leave nasty messages on her Instagram page. The goal is to keep sending hateful messages until Amiah's bully stops bothering her at school. Are they being supportive friends in a healthy way?
No, they are not, unfortunately. They're not considering the harm they could cause Amiah and the bully with their method. They need to reconsider another method for handling this conflict.
Marcus wants his 5th grade daughter Adelaide to call him every day before school so he knows she made it to the building. Adelaide says that no one else's parents make their kids do this and that it's embarrassing. Is Marcus doing the right thing? Should he not have her call?
Marcus isn't in the wrong to have his daughter call him before school. While it may be inconvenient, he ultimately wants her to be safe.
Tre's friends love to roast each other during lunch even though Tre really doesn't like it. He doesn't say anything to his friends because he doesn't want to be isolated from his friend group. Is this an example of healthy communication from Tre?
Not particularly. If Tre isn't comfortable with how his friends talk to him during lunch, he might need to address this discomfort to preserve the friendship. After all, he deserves to feel comfortable around his friends just as much as they deserve to feel comfortable around him.
Alejandro relies on Xavier for a ride to and from school. When Xavier consistently shows up 20 minutes late to Alejandro's house, Alejandro questions what he should do. When he tells Xavier about this issue, Xavier says that Alejandro should just be happy he's giving him a ride. Is Xavier being dependable?
Xavier isn't being dependable. While it's great that he's carpooling with Alejandro, Alejandro's complaints are valid.
At school, Tierra notices that Maya shows up to class with a bruised eye. After class, Maya tells Tierra that her and her boyfriend got into an argument last night and he hit her. But, since Tierra and Maya have been friends since the first grade, Maya asks Tierra not to tell anyone. Should Tierra keep the secret?
Tierra should not keep the secret. She should go directly to a trusted adult and tell them what happened. By not telling anyone, Tierra could accidentally put her friend in further danger. Telling an adult may make Maya upset, but ultimately it is best for Maya that she is safe.
Is this a good demonstration of independence in a friendship?
Andrea has been spending every day with Molly and no one else.
It can be, but if Andrea doesn't spend time with family or anyone else, it could be a problem.
Ron is mad and tells Lisa he needs some time to think and will talk to her later. He doesn’t want to say something he might regret. Is this healthy communication?
Yes. Feeling mad at your friend isn't bad. Remember, conflict isn't avoidable, but we can control how we speak to our friends.
Tre's has a multi-racial friend group. He notices that they like to crack offensive and racist jokes about each other's race and culture. Though Tre isn't comfortable with these jokes, he really doesn't want to tell them because he doesn't want them to think he isn't fun. Would it be in Tre's best interest to tell his friends how he feels?
It would be in Tre's best interest to tell his friends how he feels about these demeaning jokes. If this is a healthy friendship, they would change their behavior.
Alyssa dumps embarrassing photos of her classmate Isabel on Instagram after Isabel insults her friend Jaye during lunch. Alyssa didn't tell Jaye beforehand. Is Alyssa being a healthy, supportive friend for Jaye?
Not really, as Alyssa didn't ask Jaye. Additionally, bullying Isabel only escalates the situation.