Focusing on the Positive While Sheltering in Place

Amy Speidel on Co-Existing in Close Quarters – An Interview with Susan Borison from Your Teen, For Parents

As most families look ahead to several more weeks of sheltering in place, conversations are shifting. In this helpful interview with Susan Borison from Your Teen Media, For Parents, Conscious Discipline Certified Instructor Amy Speidel offers advice about how to maintain perspective and co-exist in healthy ways with your family.

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“Living with someone too long is hard. We’re used to having breaks, we’re used to having other parts of our lives. This is so intense – it’s not at all like being on vacation. For many it does feel as though their four walls are closing in on them. So no wonder it’s become more challenging to see the grace.”

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Amidst the myriad of challenges and understandably difficult moments, Speidel encourages families to focus on the 20 percent of their day that went well, as this is what matters most. These moments, even when seemingly outnumbered by moments of frustration or upset, DO matter, so don’t minimize them. Avoid the temptation to focus on the negative and actively choose to focus on the small, positive moments. It is these moments – no matter how few and far between – that hold us together when we’re navigating uncertainty, fear and stress.

Susan Borison is a mother of five and the founder and editor of  Your Teen Media, a leading source for parents seeking high-quality information and advice about raising teenagers.

WEBINAR OUTLINE

• 00:05 Introduction of Amy Speidel and topic by Susan Borison
• 00:44 Shifting the Conversation Beyond Grace in this Extended Season of Sheltering in Place
• 02:35 Finding raw humor and comic relief in the mist of an experience that’s scary
• 04:03 How to talk with teens, kids and family members who aren’t grasping the importance of sheltering at home
• 07:03 When feeling anxious and scared translates as irritated and angry to those around us
• 07:36 What tools can we use in our families, with our teens and in in our marriages to keep moments of fear and anxiety from ending in conflict?
• 07:50 Have a game plan for the long haul
• 08:47 Knowing when we need a time out, and planning for that need ahead of time
• 09:40 Setting emotional ground rules as you sheltering at home and leading the way as a parent with healthy emotional responses
• 12:00 Bringing our best self as a parent
• 13:25 Focusing on the best 20% of your day and why it’s important
• 13:55 The moments that hold us together
• 16:31 Closing

HELPFUL NEXT STEPS

• Webinar: Responding to Conflict During Seasons of Change with Amy Speidel
• Webinar: Self-Care During COVID-19, Candid Conversations, Episode 1 with Dr. Becky Bailey and Jill Molli
• Webinar: Adult Weekly Commitments Calendar with Sue Dierks
• ​Article: Reconnecting through Conflict with Julie Ruffo
• Article: How to be a Safekeeper: Emotional Safety for Adults by Julie Ruffo