Boundary Brainstorm: Your Personal Space

Name: _________________________

Date: __________________________

Think about what makes you feel comfortable and safe in different situations. What are your personal rules for how you want to be treated or how you interact with the world around you? Use the space below to brainstorm different types of boundaries.

1. Physical Boundaries

What are your comfort levels with physical touch, personal space, and your belongings?

Examples:

• I don't like it when people touch my hair without asking.
  
• I need at least an arm's length of space when talking to someone.

Your Turn! What are some of your physical boundaries?

2. Emotional Boundaries

How do you protect your feelings and mental well-being? What topics are you comfortable discussing, and what are not?

Examples:

• I don't want to talk about my grades with everyone.
• I need some alone time when I'm feeling upset.

Your Turn! What are some of your emotional boundaries?

3. Digital Boundaries

What are your rules for how you interact online, what you share, and how others interact with you digitally?

Examples:

• I don't share my personal information or passwords online.
• I won't respond to messages late at night.

Your Turn! What are some of your digital boundaries?

4. Time Boundaries

How do you manage your time and commitments? What are your limits on how much you can do for others or how you spend your free time?

Examples:

• I need an hour after school to relax before doing homework.
• I can't help with that project because I already have too much on my plate.

Your Turn! What are some of your time boundaries?

Boundary Scenarios Activity Cards

Instructions: In your small groups, read each scenario. Discuss how the person in the scenario could effectively communicate their boundary, and how others should respond respectfully. Be prepared to share your ideas or even act out one of the scenarios!

Scenario 1: The Borrowed Item

Your friend frequently borrows your favorite pen or notebook without asking and sometimes doesn't return it. You feel annoyed because these items are important to you.

• How can you communicate your boundary?
• How should your friend respond?

Scenario 2: The Constant Texts

A classmate keeps texting you late at night or during times you need to focus on homework, even after you've mentioned you need quiet time.

• How can you communicate your boundary?
• How should your classmate respond?

Scenario 3: The Unwanted Hug

An enthusiastic family member or friend always tries to give you a big hug, but you prefer high-fives or a simple wave. You feel uncomfortable with too much physical touch.

• How can you communicate your boundary?
• How should the family member/friend respond?

Scenario 4: The Private Information

During a group conversation, a friend starts sharing a personal story about you that you specifically asked them not to tell anyone. You feel embarrassed and betrayed.

• How can you communicate your boundary?
• How should your friend respond?

Scenario 5: The Overwhelming Request

A teacher asks you to stay after school for extra help, but you already have a commitment and are feeling overwhelmed with your current workload. You don't want to let your teacher down, but you know you can't take on more.

• How can you communicate your boundary?
• How should your teacher respond?

Scenario 6: The Group Project Responsibility

In a group project, one of your teammates isn't doing their share of the work, and you find yourself doing most of it to meet deadlines. You feel resentful and overworked.

• How can you communicate your boundary?
• How should your teammate respond?

Respectful Responses Script

Introduction: What Are Boundaries? (10 minutes)

(Teacher says to introduce the lesson)

"Good morning/afternoon, everyone! Today, we're going to explore a really important topic that helps us feel safe, respected, and build stronger relationships: personal boundaries. Has anyone heard that term before? What do you think it means?"

(Pause for student responses, acknowledge and affirm their ideas.)

"That's right! Think of boundaries like invisible lines or rules that we set for ourselves to protect our physical space, our feelings, and our time. They help us define what we are comfortable with and what we are not. Why do you think having these 'personal rules' might be important?"

(Listen to responses, guide towards self-respect, safety, and healthy relationships.)

"Exactly! Boundaries are a way of taking care of ourselves and showing others how we want to be treated. They're about respecting our own needs, which in turn helps us respect the needs of others. Throughout this lesson, we'll use the Boundary Bridges Slide Deck to guide our discussion."

Exploring Types of Boundaries (15 minutes)

(Teacher says after introducing types of boundaries on slides)

"As you saw on the Boundary Bridges Slide Deck, boundaries come in many forms – physical, emotional, digital, and even time boundaries. Let's think about this more deeply. I'm going to hand out the Boundary Brainstorm Worksheet. On this worksheet, I want you to take a few minutes to think about and write down examples of each type of boundary that are important to you. There are no right or wrong answers here; it's about what makes you feel comfortable and respected."

(After individual work, facilitate a share-out)

"Who would like to share one example of a physical boundary they thought of? How about an emotional boundary?"

(Encourage a few students to share from each category, providing positive reinforcement.)

Communicating Boundaries Effectively (15 minutes)

(Teacher says after discussing communication strategies)

"Now that we know what boundaries are and why they're important, the big question is: How do we actually tell people about them? It can feel tricky, right? But with a few simple strategies, it gets much easier."

(Refer to the Boundary Bridges Slide Deck on "Communicating Your Boundaries".)

"The key is to be clear, calm, and confident. We use 'I' statements, like 'I feel uncomfortable when...' or 'I need...' This helps you express your feelings without blaming the other person. You can also be direct, polite but firm, and remember that it's okay to say 'no' without a long explanation."

"To practice this, we're going to do an activity called Boundary Scenarios Activity Cards. I'll divide you into small groups, and each group will get a few cards with different situations. Your task is to discuss how the person in the scenario could communicate their boundary effectively and how the other person should respond respectfully. We'll then share some of your ideas with the class, and maybe even act out a scenario or two!"

(Monitor group work, provide guidance, and encourage active participation.)

Respecting Others' Boundaries (10 minutes)

(Teacher says after group sharing and discussion)

"Great job with those scenarios! It's clear that communicating your own boundaries is vital. But what about when someone else communicates their boundaries to you? That's just as important."

(Refer to the Boundary Bridges Slide Deck on "Respecting Others' Boundaries".)

"Respecting others' boundaries means listening actively, believing what they tell you, and not pressuring them to change their minds. If you accidentally cross someone's boundary, what's the best thing to do?"

(Prompt for 'apologize' and 'learn from it'.)

"Exactly! Apologize sincerely and make a mental note to respect that boundary moving forward. Remember, respecting boundaries builds trust and strengthens relationships. It shows that you value the other person and their feelings."

Conclusion and Reflection (10 minutes)

(Teacher says to wrap up the lesson)

"We've covered a lot today about personal boundaries. Let's quickly recap the main points from our Boundary Bridges Slide Deck."

(Briefly review key slides or main takeaways.)

"To help you reflect on what you've learned, I'm going to give each of you a Cool Down ticket. On this ticket, please write down one new thing you learned about boundaries today and how you plan to use this knowledge to either protect your own space or respect someone else's. This is for your own reflection, but you can share if you feel comfortable."

(Collect cool-down tickets. Answer any final questions.)

"Remember, building 'Boundary Bridges' is all about creating strong, respectful connections. Keep practicing setting and respecting boundaries, and you'll see a positive difference in all your relationships!"

Boundary Check-In Warm Up

Instructions: Take a moment to think about your personal space and comfort. Read the statements below and choose the option that best describes how you feel. There are no right or wrong answers, just your honest feelings!

1. When someone stands very close to me when talking, I usually feel...

• A) Completely fine, I don't mind.
• B) A little uncomfortable, but I don't say anything.
• C) Very uncomfortable, and I might try to move away.
• D) I actually prefer people to stand close.

2. If a friend asks to borrow my phone for a long time, I usually...

• A) Lend it to them without a second thought.
• B) Lend it, but feel a bit worried about them looking through my things.
• C) Politely say no because I need my phone or don't want them looking through it.
• D) I only lend it if I'm right there watching.

3. When I'm working on something important and someone interrupts me repeatedly, I tend to feel...

• A) It's no big deal, I can easily switch focus.
• B) A little annoyed, but I don't want to seem rude.
• C) Frustrated, and I wish they would ask if it's a good time.
• D) I usually just stop what I'm doing and help them.

4. How easy or difficult is it for you to say "no" when you don't want to do something that a friend asks?

• A) Very easy, I say "no" whenever I need to.
• B) Sometimes easy, sometimes difficult, depending on the situation.
• C) Very difficult, I almost always say "yes" even if I don't want to.
• D) I never say "no" to my friends.

My Boundary Pledge Cool Down

Name: _________________________

Date: __________________________

Take a few minutes to reflect on what you learned about personal boundaries today. Think about how this knowledge can help you in your daily life and in your relationships.

1. One New Thing I Learned:

What is one important or new idea about boundaries that you learned during today's lesson?

2. My Boundary Pledge:

How will you use what you learned today? Write a short statement about how you plan to apply this knowledge to protect your own space or respect others' space.

3. What questions do you still have about boundaries?