Friendship & Social Skills

56 Activity Ideas To Do With Friends

Friendship & Social Skills, Parent Education / /

If asked, we all could list many benefits of having good friends. Cicero put it this way, “Friendship improves happiness, and abates misery, by doubling our joys, and dividing our grief.” Having a good friend is a dream parents have for their children. When kids with disabilities frequently have limited access to their peers due to the structure of special education within school systems, opportunities to develop friendships decrease. People with disabilities and learning differences (and their parents) tend to have a “dream” of a true friendship, when it shouldn’t be a dream at all – just a part of life. Aristotle said, “wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit.” So how can parents support and teach the art of friendship? How does one actually initiate a friendship? How does a friendship grow?  Friends Spend Time Together Two of the biggest things that give friendship “a leg up” are sharing things in common and shared experiences. So let’s talk shared experiences. Here are 50+ ideas for activities to invite a friend to do. 56 Activity Ideas to do with Friends Free Things to do with Friends check out books from the local library volunteer at an animal shelter DIY something from Pinterest scrap-booking visit the park go sightseeing do random acts of kindness play board games attend a free local event watch the sunset watch a movie exercise help at a soup kitchen put together a puzzle Indoor Activities to do with Friends cook a new recipe have a spa day paint a canvas take a yoga class go to a concert go out to dinner bake cookies go to a karaoke night go shopping go to the gym visit local museums take dance lessons watch a reality TV show learn a new skill from YouTube Outdoor Activities to do with Friends rent electric scooters go for a bike ride go roller-blading visit the beach go geogaching go jogging have a scavenger hunt go hiking visit the mountains go for a walk do yard-work together attend a festival visit a farmer’s market practice photography Things to do with a Group of Friends go to an amusement park do a fun run together have a game night play basketball eat dinner at a new restaurant have a Pinterest craft party go bowling host a potluck dinner play mini-golf go to yard sales go to a comedy show go to a trampoline park play kickball have a picnic Need help planning a get-together with a potential friend? It can be difficult to juggle all the moving parts for planning a hang out with someone. From idea planning to suggestion conversation scripts, this worksheet walks through the process of planning a get-together and includes the 50+ activity ideas from this article in a handy bonus sheet.

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7 Steps to Divide Chores with Roommates

Friendship & Social Skills / /

How to keep things fair when it comes to cleaning Whether it’s in a college dorm room, an apartment, or community home, living with a roommate can come with unique challenges. This week we’ll focus on one of the biggest causes for roommate disagreements – keeping your home clean. Below we’ve outlined 7 recommended steps to avoid conflict, keep things fair, and enjoy a clean space. 1. Make a list of cleaning chores. Discuss the chores that need to be done around the home and make a list. This may include tasks such as: Vacuuming Doing the dishes Taking out the trash Wiping down countertops and sinks Mopping the floors Cleaining the toilet Tip: Not sure what cleaning tasks need to be done? Check out our handy At-A-Glance Cleaning Checklists with cleaning chores divided by room and grouped by how often they should be completed! 2. Define what “clean” means. People have different levels of “clean” that they expect in order to feel comfortable in their space. You’ll need to talk with your roommate about what they expect and how you might be different from each other. Maybe you don’t mind a few dishes in the sink, but your roomate can’t stand it! It’s ok to have different opinions, but it’s most important to come to an agreement, especially in shared spaces such as the kitchen, living room, and bathrooms. 3. Decide when each cleaning task needs to be done. It’s not just about what you need to do, but when it needs to be done. Maybe one person stacks their trash on top of the trash can until it’s almost falling over, while someone else thinks it’s full when it’s nearing the top. Discussing these expectations is key to avoiding frustrations. Also, remember that everyone has a different schedule, so it’s important to give people a reasonable amount of time to complete their assigned chores. Sometimes it helps to have a set “cleaning day” or even a check-in time to give everyone a chance to get things done. 4. Assign the cleaning chores. There are many different ways to split up the cleaning tasks. Some people prefer to have the same chores every week. If you feel really comfortable doing something specific like washing dishes or vacuuming, it might be best to have the same task every week. If there’s nothing you really feel confident completing, then changing the rotation each week might be the best way to go so no one feels “stuck” doing the same thing. Tip: You’ll want to split up the major cleaning tasks, but it is important to always clean up after yourself during personal activites. This means putting your own dirty clothes in the hamper, your own soiled trash in the trash can, or cleaning up your hair in the shower. 5. Divide cleaning supply costs. It’s typically best to split the cost of cleaning supplies evenly among roommates. You’ll need to discuss a budget and what you are all willing to spend to make sure everyone can contribute. If one person is a great deal-finder, they might want to do the shopping and divvy up the expenses. However, if you requre a specific product that’s more expensive, you may need to purchase this on your own. 6. Decide how to check your work. How will you deal with someone who doesn’t do their chores? What if something thinks you didn’t do a good enought job? Clear communication is important when living with others. When you don’t talk about things, they can grow into a bigger issue. Some people prefer a text reminder, while others want someone to just come talk to them if they have a problem. Discuss your preferred communication style with your roommates. Tip: If you don’t like the way something is done, remember you can do it your way next time the chore is yours! 7. Support each other! It’s always nice to be noticed when you are working hard. Saying a genuine “thank you” can go a long way with your roommate!

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3 Essential Roommate Social Skills

Friendship & Social Skills, Parent Education / /

Important skills for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities as they move in with roomates Finish school, move in with a roommate, and become best friends. Sounds like the dream, doesn’t it? Though it may turn out to be the case for some, what certainly is the case for all is this: your roommate is not your family. Let me repeat that, YOUR ROOMMATE IS NOT YOUR FAMILY. And this means different unwritten rules apply in roommate relationships than what is okay and acceptable when living with siblings and parents. Especially for people with intellectual disabilities, you’ll want to start preparing them to live with a roommate well before actually moving in with a roommate – perhaps even years early. When your child is growing in responsibilities that come with being a high school student, you can start practicing for living with roommates, too. Roommate Conflict It’s almost inevitable, at some point roommates will get into conflict. Care to take a guess what’s behind a large percentage of roommate conflicts? College housing and dorm life offices across the nation tend to include a simple rule: your roommate’s stuff is your roommate’s stuff.  This is a HUGE change of expectation when leaving a family living situation where spaces and possessions are largely shared – bedrooms, food, furniture, movies, toilet paper, etc. But not so with a roommate. Your roommate’s stuff is your roommate’s stuff. As in NOT YOURS. Your roommate’s bedroom is your roommate’s. Not yours. Can you go in there when they are not home? No way. Your roommate’s DVD is your roommate’s. Not yours. Can you borrow it whenever you want? Nope. Your roommate’s leftovers are your roommate’s. Not yours. Can you eat them because you’re hungry? Definitely not. The list goes on and on. Though shared spaces like the living room typically have more relaxed unwritten rules when it comes to sharing, food and personal spaces are absolute no-gos. Use the following tips to start practicing for roommates before the time comes. Three Essential Roommate Skills to Start Practicing 1. Showing respect for personal spaces  Be sure your child is not going into siblings’ bedrooms, purses, backpacks, closets, etc. Teach: If it doesn’t belong to you, don’t touch it. 2. Sharing a refrigerator and pantry, NOT sharing food A lot of roommates decide to purchase and label their own food, often having separate shelves in the fridge or pantry for each roommate. Prepare your child by labeling different items in the fridge. Challenge: buy items you know your child loves and label it with your name. You’ll want to build and teach their self-restraint because food stealing is common among people with IDD so you need to be sure they aren’t sneaking food as that behavior may completely damage a roommate relationship. 3. Asking for permission How often should your child ask for permission to use or touch something that isn’t theirs? Every time. Work on building this skill now. It will come in handy for positive roommate relationships down the road. Looking for more resources to support social skills? Check out Accessible Adulthood’s resources in the Friends & Social Skills target skill area.

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