RELATIONSHIPS

September 12, 2016

The girls are all well, reading hard, and when we spoke to them this week, they said their focus is on the exams which start in October. They do not complain about the circumstances around them that would otherwise make life hard for them. like the current cold, waking up early to read and showering with cold water. They don’t expect things to always play out in their favor; they have learned how to respond to difficult situations as and when they arise. When we speak to each of these girls, this message is quite evident. They have become strong willed individuals who do not resort to bullying, manipulating or dominating others. With the current rate of unrest in schools, it is very encouraging to see that in the four years that the 7 girls have been at Shiners, we have never been called to the school for disciplinary issues with our girls, or because any of them have been suspended or expelled for any reason. For this, we are very grateful.

Last week we covered Lesson 5 with the Karen C School Choice Club members, the topic was on RELATIONSHIPS. It was interesting to hear from the girls about the kind of different relationships that they have, the challenges they have managing those relationships, and the kind of relationships they wish they had.

We identified why it is important to have a family, what support the family gives and the sense of belonging one gets by being part of a family. Children are finding themselves in difficult situations especially those that are raised in single parent homes. The rate of divorce has gone up very much, and the children are finding themselves in circumstances where they must choose which parent to stay with, instead of concentrating on school. They are naturally, distracted by the breakup of their families.

Parenting styles have also changed. The girls specifically, find themselves fighting with their parents because they feel judged and misunderstood. Finding a middle ground becomes hard, and the girls tend to rebel against their parents with dire consequences.

We discussed peer pressure at school, bullying, situations that cause distress at school, adhering to school rules, and obeying parents and the elders when at home.

This week we will visit Shiners School for the Choice Club meetings. We are also preparing for the upcoming graduations for Choice Clubs, and our girls final school year.