**Disclaimer: if you feel you are currently in an abusive relationship, please call loveisrespect. The following tips are not meant to repair an abusive relationship. If you are experiencing abuse, or you feel that you are in an unstable and unhealthy relationship, we encourage you to talk to us through a phone call or chat.**
New Years Eve is upon us and it has us thinking about what we’d like to do differently in the new year. One way you could make 2011 great is to examine your relationships and commit to doing some things differently. Here are some suggestions.
If you’re in a couple
If you’re currently part of a pair, consider resolving to:
Open the lines of communication. Be better about sharing your feelings and thoughts with your boyfriend/girlfriend. Encourage them to be honest and open with you. By communicating more, you will be able to resolve conflict faster and hopefully become closer.
Set clear boundaries. Being open with one another can also empower you to tell your significant other what you do and do not want in your relationship. Do you feel that they call you too much? Do they respect the time you want to spend with family and friends? Start talking about these things with one another so that you can know what each other wants. This can also help you recognize when your partner crosses a line.
Have more fun with friends. It can seem like to be a better couple, you should spend a ton of time with that other person. While togetherness is important, it’s also healthy to spend time apart. Having lives outside of one another will help you keep perspective about your relationship and will allow for you to cultivate outside interests and friendships. Read more…
kstonebock awareness advocacy, change, dating, healthy relationships, New Years, teen dating violence
Megan, a longtime loveisrespect advocate, was recently invited to “A Roundtable of Experts on Teen Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Related Youth Violence” by Lynn Rosenthal, White House Advisor on Violence Against Women. She went to represent young advocates and to talk about how to reach teens and young adults with messages of healthy relationships.
We at the loveisrepect team are very proud of her and all of our peer advocates for the work they do on behalf of teens and young adults.
Check out this video to see what Megan has to say about her trip to the White House.
kstonebock loveisrespect media, Media, peer advocate focus, peer advocates, video dating abuse, peer advocate, Violence Against Women, White House
By this time in December, you’ve probably already made your wish lists and checked them twice, but we at loveisrespect would like to share with you what we wish for this holiday season.
For you, our readers of loveisrespect, we wish that you:
• Always feel safe and secure in all of your relationships- friends, family, romantic relationships and others.
• Feel that you have a voice and are empowered to share your thoughts
• Know that there is always a support system who cares about you and who is ready to listen (including us)
• Have fun in your relationships
• Find acceptance for who you are and don’t feel pressured to change
• Can tell when a relationship feels right, as well as the warning signs that you should talk to someone
• Can find ways to talk about dating abuse in your schools, churches, homes and friend groups
• Never lose our number (1-866-331-9474 | 1-866-331-8453 TTY) Read more…
kstonebock general advocacy, change, dating abuse, holiday, teen issues, wish
