FAMILY SYSTEMS (We Build Better Humans #13)
This issue features: 1. Blueprints to healthy relationships || 2. Tools of the Trade: Family scripts for the neurodivergent mom || 3. New support for teens
It’s 7am on a Tuesday & you’re right in the thick of it: Gearing up for the daily grind, managing the household, tripping over the family pet & trying not to curse out loud. Livin’ the dream, right?
“Social-emotional” is the buzz word here at We Build Better Humans, where we’re letting our feelings fly … if not our cuss words (at least not all of the time). But how exactly do you lean into feelings when you have a planner packed with events, tasks & activities; a spouse or partner or co-parent you seem to live in parallel with, rather than in tandem; tiny humans you’re expected to model this feeling stuff to when nobody ever showed you how; &, oh yes, your own neurodivergent perspective?
The short answer: Lean into this week’s newsletter & learn tools.
Like, seriously. Click these links & come back & use them some more. Take a brain break to go down the rabbit hole & feed your head. You deserve it!
Let’s start with my fave recovering-addict-turned-meditating-author, Diego Perez, aka Yung Pueblo.
My pre-ordered copy of his latest book, Lighter, arrived on my doorstep. And reading it has definitely helped me to feel more sane. That’s a weight off, for sure!
His Substack newsletter, Yung Pueblo’s Notes, has a great 2-min. read on the “Elements of a Healthy Relationship.” It also outlines a 4-step list, including this gem: Support each other’s power!
Keeping these links in the family … our featured article this week comes from the newsletter Family Scripts. Author Hope writes heartfelt inspo (“Other people—including your spouse—might make moral judgments about your practical struggles, assuming you’re lazy or selfish, but they’ll never know how hard you’re trying”), reminds us we are not alone, & headlines banner encouragement that this mama wants to read again & again—& share with my friends!
We need a similar post to the inwardly isolated teen, that unicorn of the family who pops out of their bedroom infrequently between long bouts away from the house (or away from other people entirely) with at least one earbud for protection & a head full of secret thoughts, swirling with insecurity.
In lieu of that, here’s something even more proactive:
DBSA, the Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance, now has peer support groups for teens that meet virtually, twice a week. This pilot program couldn’t come at a better time: One in six teens reported making a suicide plan over the past year.
We are their parents, teachers & caregivers. Let’s honor their honesty in sharing the truth about these intrusive thoughts & take action with them & for them through groups like DBSA.
Thank you for your continued support of We Build Better Humans through subscriptions, shares, listens, likes, votes, comments … & most importantly, through living your life like feelings matter. This Halloween Issue #13 (nah, I didn’t even plan that) shares, to me, the spookiest statistic of all. Tune in to the Tune In podcast here or at your fave platform for an episode with a little levity (& more spooky seriousness) as we drop special content on Halloween Day.
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