Archive for August, 2011
Compass – Letting the Air Out (Expressing Feelings)
Imagine you are holding a red balloon in your hand. You start to blow up the balloon, continuing to fill with air more and more until – POP! – a piercing sound and red scraps of latex all over the floor. That red balloon is like a cherished relationship, flexible and forgiving to a point. [...]
Cause – To “Throw Blows” is to “Scrap”
Adolescent girls are sophisticated in their ability to create tension through voicing their opinions. Leading a process group of adolescent girls, where they are expected to communicate their feelings and examine issues, is often an open playing field for tension and conflict. I led such a group in a juvenile detention center, where the girls [...]
Parenting – A Basket Full of Groceries
As we pull into the parking lot of the grocery store, I take a deep breath not really sure I can deal with another battle of wills, no matter how small. It’s been only six months since moving out and separating from my husband of seven years and I am exhausted. Wasted from the constant [...]
Parenting – Sibling Rivalry
My name is Dave and I am recently separated. My ex and I maintain a friendly relationship and are united as parents when dealing with our three children. They are three strong-willed, intelligent and strong individuals. Joe is 15 and the mellowest of the three. He enjoys reading books, video games and RC models to [...]
Education – Peace Builders
“It’s my turn.” “He kicked my ball.” “She won’t be my friend.” “He took cuts.” “She said a bad word.” These are just some of the usual complaints a teacher must address when standing yard duty on a playground. My school implemented a conflict resolution program, Peace Builders1, to help teachers manage conflicts just like [...]
Arts – The Art of Empathy in Learning
Every year, the first week of school brings a common denominator among teachers, students and parents – a mix of excitement and apprehension. Parents wonder if they got a good teacher. Teachers wonder if they have supportive parents. Students wonder, “Will I be accepted? Will my classmates think I’m smart?” For the student, much of [...]
Arts – Don’t Break Bones, Go Look For Them: Preventing Conflict Through Art Projects
I love to walk with my 4-year-old twin grandchildren to the nearby park, to see what we can notice and discover in this urban “wild” park. Going on a pattern hunt is always fun. “Baba, these flowers have yellow in the middle and white petals around the yellow part,” or “this tree has leaves like [...]
Nutrition – Our First Meal
We had been fighting a lot. I can’t really be sure about what. We had gotten into some bad habits – eating junk food, ordering in, not eating many vegetables, and talking less. We put our work and our own individual stress ahead of our relationship, our health, and ourselves. Then one night on my [...]
Psychology – First Responder
At my workplace, I am usually one of the first people called to attend to a crisis. I am a first responder or, as I like to refer to myself, an EMT: Emotional Meltdown Technician. The memory of one particular episode is ingrained forever in my mind, as it was an experience that shaped the [...]
