The group meets for 8 weeks, once a week during social time, for a 30-minute session in the Turtle Cove with Ms. Chris, Captain Strong Primary Counselor.
I teach students strategies to stay strong and succeed in life when parents separate, divorce, or get married again. In addition to practical ways to cope with big changes, I teach children key resiliency tools that they can use now and the rest of their lives. Students are encouraged to believe in themselves and to plan for their lives ahead.
We learn how to deal with parents living apart, settle in one home or two, manage stress, change, fears, and stay connected with parents and relatives.
Lesson 1
Students will learn to: Create a family dynamics chart that includes all of the members of their families and extended families. Students will discuss the difference between separation & divorce.
Lesson 2
Students will learn to: Identify what is True or False about separation & divorce. Students will get to talk about different scenarios, and what their situation looks like with one or two homes.
Lesson 3
Students will learn to: Identify the feelings they have, questions they might have and ways to calm down while navigating new ways of being a family.
Lesson 4
Students will learn to: Create a list of things that make them feel good while experiencing family changes.
Lesson 5
Students will learn to: Identify their rights as kids, and see that it's not healthy for kids to be caught in the middle OR parents to be caught in the middle of family issues.
Lesson 6
Students will learn to: Identify ways to stay connected when living in more than 1 home, navigate schedules & calendars, create a checklist for taking things to mom's & dad's homes. Learning how to adapt to old & new traditions.
Lesson 7
Students will learn to: Navigate new family dynamics, possible new school, possible new friends, problem solving & communication with parents.
Lesson 8
Students will learn to: Continue to have goals & dreams, how to get on with their life as a kid and how to take care of themselves in the middle of big changes to their family.