Why is it important to set boundaries in your life in order to build healthy relationships?
You may want to consider:
- Physical contact, (i.e. I don’t like to hug people unless I know them well)
- Keeping your personal space (i.e. I don’t like it when people I don’t know touch me or get really close to me or I prefer that someone asks to borrow my things before taking them)
- Language (i.e. I prefer to not use cuss words when talking to people).
Agenda:
Video
First, watch this:
Discuss with a partner:
- What stood out to you while watching the video? Do you currently have relationships where boundaries need set? Elaborate
- Based on the “Way of Being” chart presented in the video, how would you categorize yourself? Is this something you would like to change in order to set and maintain healthy boundaries with friends, parents, siblings, etc…?
- Why is it okay to say no in certain situations when setting healthy boundaries?
Get into small groups of 3-4.
With the provided Respecting Boundaries worksheet. Read each scenario presented and give small groups about 10 minutes to discuss and be ready to share. Take some time after the collaborative discussion for students to share as a class.
Additional Discussion Questions (if there is time)
- What messages have you seen in the media about boundaries? For example, how do we see men respecting or not respecting women’s boundaries and vice versa?
- How do messages you receive from the media influence how you or the people you know set or respect boundaries?
- What can be hard about setting boundaries? Does it matter if you are in public or around other people?
Closure- Why is setting boundaries important in building a healthy relationship with others?