Building Responsible Relationships 7th Grade Chapter 11

Social Skills Having good social skills means having clear, healthy relationships. Relationship: an emotional or social connection you have with another person or group. It is important to express yourself clearly so people know what you are thinking and feeling.

Expressing yourself is only half of communication The other half is understanding others. Good listening is more than just hearing. It is using active listening skills.

ACTIVE LISTENING Active listening: hearing and thoughtfully responding as a person is speaking. Active listening includes the following: Paying attention to the person speaking Making eye contact Nodding when you understand Asking questions when you don’t understand

Body Language Body language: a way of communicating by using the following: Facial expressions Hand gestures Body posture Sending the same message with your words and body language will help people understand you

Behavior: how you choose to respond or act Personal Responsibility: doing your part, keeping promises, and accepting the consequences of your actions. Practice using refusal skills to avoid risky behavior. If you are confronted with a risky behavior, remember, you can always make a healthy choice. Stand your ground and remember your values. Walk away if others are pressuring you.

Sensitivity Skills Empathy: sharing and understanding another persons feelings Be a good listener, be a good body language reader, become aware of problems people face every day and try to identify people’s feelings Tolerance: the ability to overlook differences and accept people for who they are

Family Health Nurturing: Providing care and other basic things that people need to grow There are many different family structures Couple, Nuclear, Single-Parent Families, Extended Families, Blended families and adoptive families

Family Roles Parents or Adults provide food, clothing, shelter, basic care, love and teach children important values How can you care for your family members? Respect and cooperation Your Role: Looking after brothers and sisters, cooking, cleaning and helping with household duties

How can family roles change? New baby Adopted family member Mom or Dad has a new job Sibling leaves for college or moves out

Family Changes Health Problems- taking care of an ill family member can take time, if they held a job and can no longer do this, this can effect income Money Problems- money problems can lead to other family problems Relationship Problems- When family members don’t get along, the whole family can be affected. Divorce and separation can be tough on families

Coping with problems What is the best way to deal with problems? TALK ABOUT IT Talk to: parents, grandparents, coaches, teachers and guidance counselors

Influences on Teen Relationships Media: TV shows, movies, music, magazines, advertisements and all other forms of communication Music- Disrespectful or violent? Movies- What are the characters doing? Against your values? Surround yourselves with good influences. This will help you make healthy choices

Other Influences Your Family Your Role Models Your Peers

Healthy Friendships Friends play a bigger role in your life the older you get Friends can influence your choices and help you to stay healthy and safe Self-Esteem-the way you feel about yourself as a person, or how you value yourself

Building Good Character Good friends help you to build good character. You can build good character by: Caring: Be aware of how your friends are feeling Respect: respect each other, friends values and families Dependability: Keep promises, around when needed, respect your friends things Loyalty: Good friends stick by you even if others turn against you. They don’t stop being friends with you to be friends with others. Honesty: Good friends are honest when the truth is difficult to say or hear

Resolving Unhealthy Relationships Unhealthy Relationship: a relationship with a person who hurts you or who encourages you to do things that are against your values Try to resolve these relationships right away. Talk to a parent or trusted adult. Say “no” when something goes against your values. Encourage friends who are pressuring you that they can always walk away from an unhealthy behavior. They do not have to go through with it.

Teen Dating Dating: going out with people you find attractive and interesting Group Dating: Going out with a group of friends to get to know someone What are some benefits of group dating? Takes the pressure off of you to always have something to say You can act more like yourself when your around friends You won’t be pressured into doing something you don’t want to do You can see how they act in a group (your friends and their friends) Not as awkward

Showing Affection There are many ways for teens to show affection to one another Give a smile or kind laugh Tell someone how much they mean to you Remember a birthday Write a card, note or letter Give a small gift, such as a flower Cheer for someone at a game or performance Spend time together Hold hands

Being Clear It may be difficult to let someone know how you feel As long as you are clear, you are doing okay. Respecting others values can show that you like them. If you don’t feel comfortable with the way someone is showing you affection, say so. Tell the person to stop, if the person does not stop, talk to a parent or trusted adult about the problem

Sexual Abstinence Sexual Abstinence is the refusal to take part in sexual activity. What are the benefits of abstaining from sex? Being sure you won’t cause an unwanted pregnancy STD’s Ensure you won’t get hurt emotionally from sexual involvement Demonstrating care for yourself , your family and your future

Maintaining Abstinence Practice good refusal skills Learn how to say no with your words, body language and actions. Stick to your values! Walk away or call for a ride home