1. Relationship Levels
Learning to act differently with different people– so we stay safe and socially appropriate!

2. Relationships We have relationships with many people Family members
Friends
Acquaintances
Neighbors
Boyfriends/girlfriends (sometimes)
Teachers
People in the community

3. Acting differently
We change how we act depending on WHO we are interacting with and their relationship to us
Example: We should hug our mom, but not the bagger at Walmart
Example: We should shake hands with someone we meet, but we should high five a friend
Example: We should talk about the weird sore on our foot with our grandma, but not with our teacher

4. Our Circles
We will describe our relationships using a series of colored circles.
Color in your circles to match this circle. ->
Use colored pencils or crayons– we need to be able to write words over the colors and be able to see our words!!
The heading should be “Relationship Circles”
Cheesy explanation song:

5. Purple Circle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbAFX8TELU8
The purple circle represents you!
This is your personal space.
No one should come into this space without your permission.
WRITE YOUR NAME IN THE PURPLE CIRCLE.

6. Blue circle The blue circle represents your family.
Write FAMILY in the purple circle. Then, write the names of 1-4 people in your family.
It’s is ok to hug family members. Write HUG in the blue circle.
You can share personal information with family members. This includes health concerns, strong dislikes, worries, and passwords. Write PERSONAL INFORMATION in the blue circle.
What other social boundaries are in place for family members? Think: what are things you ONLY do with or for family members?
Is personal space for family members bigger, smaller, or the same than regular person space (one elbow-length)?

7. Green circle
The Green circle represents your friends. Write FRIENDS on the green circle and add the names of 1-4 friends. Don’t write EVERY friend you have! You can include friends from school and from other places.
Friends are people you might invite to your house or hang out with outside of school. Write INVITE OVER or HANG OUT on this circle.
Remember the middle school touching rules! Outside of school, it’s ok to side-hug/bro-hug friends. Write SIDE- HUG or BRO-HUG on this circle.
Who/what determines the limits of our social boundaries?
Can social boundaries with certain people change? How can we know?
Can you have friends of a different gender than you? Do your parents have rules about hanging out at home with an opposite-gendered friend?
If you see this person in the hallway, the office, or the grocery store, what is the social expectation?

8. Yellow circle
The Yellow circle represents people you know, or acquaintances. Write PEOPLE I KNOW or ACQUAINTANCES on the yellow circle.
Write the names of some people you know (but who are not close friends) on the yellow circle. This could include the lunch lady, a teacher you don’t have, a student you sit by in class, or someone you know in the community.
You can HIGH FIVE acquaintances but should not hug them. Write HIGH FIVE on the circle.
You should BE POLITE to acquaintances by being a social fake and showing general kindness. Write BE POLITE on the circle.
Should you invite acquaintances to your house?
How can an acquaintance move to the green circle (and become a friend)?
Do you have more acquaintances or more friends? Why?

9. Orange circle
The Orange circle represents helpers. These people are at school and in the community. Write HELPERS on the orange circle.
HELPERS are in the community and at school. Helpers can include teachers, police officers, firefighters, lifeguards, and doctors.
Helpers may have to touch you to help keep you safe (in an emergency), but should only use yellow (acquaintance) touches in most circumstances. Write KEEP ME SAFE on the orange circle.
If you want to touch helpers, you can high-five them.
You can WAVE HELLO to helpers. Write WAVE HELLO on the circle.
How might your relationship to helpers change as you get older?
What personal space distance should you use with helpers?

10. Red Circle
The RED circle represents strangers. Write STRANGERS on the red circle.
Strangers are people that you see at school or in the community whose names you do not know and who you do not recognize.
You should not make conversation with strangers, but you can say polite things, like “Excuse me” and “Thank you” when it is appropriate. Write “EXCUSE ME” and “THANK YOU” on this circle.
If you are receiving service from a stranger (like at Walmart), it’s ok to make small-talk– ask about a product, mention the weather, ask how they are doing.

11. Red circle
Strangers should not touch you and you should not touch strangers. This would make them feel uncomfortable and unsafe and would probably make you feel uncomfortable and unsafe. Write NO TOUCHING on the red circle.
Be aware that while most people are safe, not everyone is safe. Ask HELPERS for help if you need it!
If a stranger comes to your house to fix your TV, how do you know whether or not to let him in?
If the stranger is fixing your TV, what kinds of things can you talk to him about?

12. Finished!

13. QUIZ GAME!
Use your notebook to help you answer these questions!

14. This is the color of your grandma

15. Blue!

16. If you had a girlfriend/boyfriend, they would go in this circle

17. Green!

18. This is the kind of touch I should use with acquaintances

19. High five

20. True or False: I should make conversation with strangers

21. False!

22. True or false: The only time a helper should touch me is in an emergency

23. True!

24. My best friend is in this circle

25. Green!

26. This is the touch I can use with close friends

27. Side-hug/bro-hug

28. True or false: I should wave hello to, but not touch, police officers

29. True!

30. Strangers are in this circle

31. RED!

32. I am in this circle

33. Purple!

34. True or false: relationships and their boundaries never change

35. False!

36. The only people I should hug are in this circle

37. Blue! (family)

38. These circles can help us know how to change our behavior to fit social expectations… but that’s next time!