What should I do if my schedule doesn't align with my Thread Family's schedule?

Relationships are messy.  Working through the mess strengthens relationships. The suggestions below for these common scenarios come from young people and volunteers within Thread. 

Example:

Every time your Thread Family plans a shared experience, it seems like you can’t attend. You have a busy schedule, balancing multiple commitments, and haven’t been able to attend many events or meetings with your young person(s), outside of the programmed Thread events. You feel like you aren’t contributing enough. You want to do more, but your schedule always seems to conflict - what can you do next?

Potential Cause 1:

Other Family Members plan events without asking you when you are free.

Try This:

• Tell your Thread Family you want to be more involved. Share your schedule with them so they can consider your schedule when planning.
• Use your Thread calendar or share your availability with each other during your monthly Family meetings.
• Schedule your own shared experience and invite them to join you!

Why?

Meeting all people where they are is a critical component of treating relationships as wealth. This not only applies to the young person, but Family Members as well. They may not have all of the necessary information when planning events, so you can go the extra mile by ensuring that they know explicitly when you are available.

Potential Cause 2:

The times when most of your Thread Family is available for Thread, you are not available (i.e. they are all available in the evenings, but you are more available on weekends)

Try This:

• Schedule your own times to meet with the young person(s) with at least one other Family Member.
• Connect with other Thread Families in your thread to coordinate with them at events or experiences with the young person. You can use those experiences to build relationships with the young person as well as the other Family Members in the thread.
• Meet in the middle - plan way ahead and ask them to meet at times when you are available; do the same with their schedule.

Why?

The thread is structured to provide 360 degrees of support for young person(s) even if all FMs are not together with the young person(s) simultaneously. By connecting with other Thread Families in the thread and expanding beyond your Thread Family, you demonstrate treating  relationships as wealth especially recognizing the inherent value of ALL people.

Potential Cause 3:

You don’t hear about a Family event until it is too late for you to plan to attend.

Try This:

• Ask your Head of Family to include upcoming events in a regular email / communication to the full Thread Family. 
• Explain your situation.  Ask other Family Members and the Head of Family to schedule events enough in advance to give you more notice so you can rearrange your schedule to attend. 
• Suggest or help to plan Thread Family events; try these shared experiences!

Why?

In order for Thread Families to thrive, we should each aim to learn from all voices, specifically listening  to all voices while letting your voice be heard! Sharing your needs and wants with the rest of the Thread Family is a great way to help everyone stay on the same page and thus be able to show up authentically to all shared experiences.

Potential Cause 4:

You are struggling to balance everything on your plate.

Try This:

Be open.  Talk to your Head of Family about your life/feelings and work together to brainstorm solutions that are best for you and the Thread Family.

Why?

In order to show all the way up for young people we should recognize our own inherent value. Each Family Member serves an important role in helping the entire Thread Family to thrive. You chose Thread because you knew the value you could bring to the relationships you would form. Rely on those relationships to help you overcome barriers that are getting in the way.