Let's begin by making a quick list of importantrelationships, including just a sentence or
two about eachone.
Don't fuss over this too much, and submit your work to the Kidforum list as soon as possible
after October 31.
If you're starting later, however, you might try to react a little to what others have already posted.
Here's an example:
"I have an important friendship with my cousin Lynn, even though we see each
other only a few times a year.
We talk on the phone quite a lot, and we seem to help each other with whatever's bothering us.
I think this must be like the friendship that Devin, from Bedford, USA, wrote about,
and so I'd like to know more about Devin and his cousin.
During this two-week period, let's also share some ideas about the qualities of a good friend.
What makes someone a good friend (or not such a good friend)?
Are there certain qualities that all good friends have?
For example, are all good friends loyal and honest and helpful?
Are there other qualities that are good, or even necessary, in some friendships, but not others?
For example, must good friends have a lot of time to spend together?
Do they need to be about the same age?
Do they have to enjoy the same kinds of sports or movies?
Once again, try to respond to what others post on Kidforum.
Don't be afraid to disagree, but do so in a thoughtful and sensitive way.
Here's your chance to tell some good stories.
How did you meet your best friend (or friends)?
How did yourfriendship develop?
Did you like your friend-to-be right away, or did something happen later to draw you together?
Did a third person help your friendship get started?
What advice would you offer to people who have trouble making friends?
And what really works for maintaining friendships?
Is it important to be someone your friend can confide in?
If so, how can you become such a person?
Is it always important to confide in your friends, or is it sometimes better to keep
things to yourself?
Is it good, or even necessary, to criticize a friend at times?
If so, how can you make such a criticism without damaging your friendship?
If you have a story of something you have done, or of something you failed to do,
to keep a friendship going, please post it.
As always, react to others' postings, too.
November 26-December 8 Dealing With the Loss of Family
Members and Friends
Sooner or later, all of us must face the loss of friends and family members,
though death and in other ways.
Over the next two weeks, let's share with each other how we have experienced, and dealt with, these losses.
Who is the closest friend or family member you have lost?
How did you lose this person?
How did you feel at the time?
What did you do to get through the feelings of loss?
Did you talk with others?
If your loss was through death, did you participate in religious rituals?
Did you try to stay very busy so that you wouldn't think too much of your loss?
How well did each approach work in helping you feel better?
How do you now feel about the loss of your friend or family member?
Have your feelings changed very much since you lost the person?
If so, how?
December 9-21 Our Families--the Rules and Roles
Please tell us about the actual rules and roles in your families.
Who takes care of meals, of young children, of earning money, of washing clothes, of food shopping, of
taking out the trash, of cleaning particular rooms?
Does your family have clearly spoken (or even written) rules for these responsibilities,
or are such things understood in some other way?
What exactly are your roles in the family?
Please include any informal roles you may have, such as telling funny stories
or playing chess or video games with one of your parents.
Once, again, please respond to the postings of others, but be sure to keep in mind that,
in the modern world, families are extremely diverse.
What seems clear and right in one family or community may not work at all in another,
so be thoughtful and kind in your reactions.
In November, we wrote about the qualities of a good friend.
Now let's consider a similar, but probably more difficult, topic,
the qualities of a good family member.
How well are you suited to your family roles?
How well are the roles suited to you?
What changes, if any, would you make if you could?
How have you changed as a family member over the past three years or so?
How do you expect to change over the next few?
How would you like to change?
Make up a dialogue in which you suggest, to others in your family, a serious change in your family role.
You might try having the others respond as you truly think they should.
December 22-31 Celebrating New (and Not-So-New)
Acquaintances, Friends, and Family Members
Let's have some fun this week by acknowledging and celebrating the relationships
in our lives.
Consider, for xample, writing a poem or song about your best friend, or a special
greeting card for a family member.
And don't forget the new people you have met through this project, by exchanging
writings on Kidforum or through Kidlink IRC.
This is your chance to say farewell, or to make plans to
continue the relationships.