To empower girls with skills for communicating with their parents & family
Its normal to talk to friends more than you talk to your parents. But there are some things you might want or need to talk to your parents about - sometimes you need some advice and some things are just embarrassing to talk to your friends about and they might be with your parents too but at least they shouldn't tease you!
And you know what, being able to chat with your parents can make it an easier environment to be in at home. When parents feel connected to your daily life, they can be there for you if something really important comes up.
It can be easy to forget that your parents were once your age too and so might not be as alien to what you want to talk about as you think!
We want you to have the confidence to speak to your parents and give you the skills you need so you can say why you want to talk in a way that communicates what you need.
And then there's the rest of the family... communicating can consist of lots of battles but home should be your sanctuary, your place to feel safe to be who you really are, to have a break - and isn't that place nicer if you get on with everyone?
Websites Offering Support:
DVIP Yuva Service
offers confidential support for young people ages 11-18 (up to 25 for young people with additional needs) who want to change their behaviour, develop improved awareness of healthy communication and relationships. They help young people to look at their abusive behaviour and find safe, non-abusive alternatives.
Impact Factory
run a number of courses but also have some useful information on communication skills available on their website.
Kidshealth.org
Are you putting yourself down? If so, you’re not alone. As a teen, you’re going through lots of changes in your body. And, as your body changes, so does your image of yourself. It’s not always easy to like every part of your looks, but when you get stuck on the negatives it can really bring down your self-esteem.
Our Everyday Life
offers a useful article on communicating with your parents.
SupportLine
Supportline is for children and teens going through a difficult time but feeling unable to talk to their parents about how they are feeling and what is happening. You may be, for example, being bullied, struggling with an eating disorder, self-harming, and/or generally feeling depressed.
Books on this subject:
A Smart Girl’s Guide to Understanding Her Family: Feelings, Fighting & Figuring It Out
can help girls understand and get along with parents, stop fights with siblings before they start, and negotiate solutions to any problem.
Every Teenager’s Little Black Book on How to Get Along with Your Parents
“Great book for teenagers that need guidance!!! every parent should buy this for their child. it is written very simply and to the point with great examples.” Amazon Review
Starving the Anger Gremlin: A Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Workbook on Anger Management for Young People (Gremlin and Thief CBT Workbooks)
Meet the anger gremlin: a troublesome pest whose favourite meal is your anger, and the more he eats the angrier you get! There’s only one way to stop him: starve him of angry feelings and behaviours, and make him disappear. This imaginative workbook shows young people how to starve their anger gremlin and control their anger effectively. Made up of engaging and fun activities, it helps them to understand why they get angry and how their anger affects themselves and others, and teaches them how to manage angry thoughts and behaviours. The tried-and-tested programme, based on effective cognitive behavioural therapy principles, can be worked through by a young person on their own or with a practitioner or parent, and is suitable for children and young people aged 10+. “Starving the Anger Gremlin” is easy to read and fun to complete, and is an ideal anger management resource for those working with young people including counsellors, therapists, social workers and school counsellors, as well as parents.
