Objectives
1. To identify the changes they have
encountered because of their parent's
remarriage and how the blended family affects their lives.
2. To analyze the pros and cons of these changes.
3. To produce ideas about dealing with change.
Materials
* A "Changes" worksheet
* Scissors and glue
* Blank sheets
* Pencils
Activity 1: The Name Game
To
help the children remember each other's names ask each member to think
of a positive adjective that describes them and that starts with the same
letter as their name. For example, Sensible Stacey. Then go
around the circle and ask each one to share it with the group.
Each member has to repeat all the previous names and adjectives before they say their own.
Activity 2: The "Changes"
Worksheet
The counselor should prepare for each participant a piece of paper divided
in nine spaces on each side. Each space will address a change, either
positive or negative, that these children may be facing. For example,
having to move to a new house, new set of rules, more responsibilities,
having a parent fall in love with someone else, sharing a room with a new
sibling, moving and making new friends, having less money problems, etc.
Write these topics on the top of each square so that they child will have
room to illustrate these changes. Instruct them just to draw in the
box that represents a the changes they have personally experienced, leaving
the rest blank. Leave a couple of spaces free for them to express
any additional issues.
For younger children:
After they finish, distribute scissors, glue and a blank sheet to
each member and ask them to cut out the boxes that they marked with the
X and have them glue them on a blank sheet. Then, ask them to make
a circle around the picture that represents the most difficult change for
them and a heart around the picture that represents the change that made
things better for them.
For older children:
After they finished marking the pictures, distribute an additional blank
sheet and ask them to title it "Looking at the Good Side" and divide it
in two columns. On the left side they have to write two of the toughest
changes and the easiest one and write on the right side something positive
that came out of each situation. The counselor should help
them identify what made some changes easier and try to apply them to the
other situations.
Activity 3: Coping with change
Procedure
1. Discuss with the group possible ways of dealing with specific changes.
2. Referring to the different changes the children drew on the “Changes” worksheet, discuss with them some possible ways of dealing with each specific change.
3. Go around the circle and have the participants volunteer ideas for coping.
4. Encourage children who
have already dealt with a certain change to express how they handled it.
Processing Hints
If
one of the changes is a major concern for many students, use the Problem-Solving
Model to discuss possible solutions and analyze their consequences.