DISCUSSION GUIDE
T S T U D E N IN G R U D G H O U S IN 9 1 ID COV
Open and honest communication with your housemates is important to help you feel comfortable in your student house during the pandemic. Here are some tips to help get the conversation started:
1. TRY TO KEEP THE CONVERSATION FOCUSED Example Q: What do we want to accomplish by the end of this conversation?
Our goal is to: ______________________________________________________
2. ASK OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS TO HELP FACILITATE CONVERSATION, SUCH AS: What do we each need in order to feel comfortable living together during the pandemic? How do we feel about visitors? (e.g. no visitors at all; only visitors outside; limit [__] number of visitors per housemate, visitors must wear masks and wash hands) How should we manage household cleaning? What about purchasing cleaning supplies? How can we reduce our potential exposure to the virus outside of the house? How often do you visit family, a significant other, or friends? What can we do to decrease risk with these interactions? What will we do if one of us (or someone we have been in contact with) has been exposed to COVID-19?
3. LISTEN WITH EMPATHY, SPEAK CALMLY, AND AVOID JUDGEMENT: Speak to your own preferences and comfort levels. Remain calm. Your housemates will likely match your energy; if the conversation becomes angry or tensions escalate, take a break or try again another time. Show compassion. Each of your housemates will have unique circumstances and priorities; focus on finding shared goals and trying to understand why a housemate may be resistant to changing their behaviours, without compromising on personal and community safety. Note: People aren’t obliged to disclose why they might want to establish certain boundaries or guidelines. Keep in mind that the pandemic has exacerbated many existing inequities.
4. PROVIDE CLOSURE BY RECAPPING YOUR COLLECTIVE DECISIONS AT THE END OF YOUR CONVERSATION. Feel free to correct me if I have misunderstood, but it sounds to me like we’ve decided we will: ______________
Is there anything else we should talk about? How often should we check-in and revisit our COVID-19 household rules?
At the end of the day, it can be hard to follow COVID-19 protocol! But creating clear boundaries can help create a safe environment for all during the pandemic.
Resources on COVID-19 Regulations & Recommendations McMaster: covid19.mcmaster.ca/ Hamilton: hamilton.ca/coronavirus Ontario: covid-19.ontario.ca/index Government of Canada: tinyurl.com/cgovshec
DISCUSSION GUIDE
T S T U D E N IN G R U D G H O U S IN 9 1 ID COV
Open and honest communication with your housemates is important to help you feel comfortable in your student house during the pandemic. Here are some tips to help get the conversation started:
1. TRY TO KEEP THE CONVERSATION FOCUSED Example Q: What do we want to accomplish by the end of this conversation?
Our goal is to: ______________________________________________________
2. ASK OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS TO HELP FACILITATE CONVERSATION, SUCH AS: What do we each need in order to feel comfortable living together during the pandemic? How do we feel about visitors? (e.g. no visitors at all; only visitors outside; limit [__] number of visitors per housemate, visitors must wear masks and wash hands) How should we manage household cleaning? What about purchasing cleaning supplies? How can we reduce our potential exposure to the virus outside of the house? How often do you visit family, a significant other, or friends? What can we do to decrease risk with these interactions? What will we do if one of us (or someone we have been in contact with) has been exposed to COVID-19?
3. LISTEN WITH EMPATHY, SPEAK CALMLY, AND AVOID JUDGEMENT: Speak to your own preferences and comfort levels. Remain calm. Your housemates will likely match your energy; if the conversation becomes angry or tensions escalate, take a break or try again another time. Show compassion. Each of your housemates will have unique circumstances and priorities; focus on finding shared goals and trying to understand why a housemate may be resistant to changing their behaviours, without compromising on personal and community safety. Note: People aren’t obliged to disclose why they might want to establish certain boundaries or guidelines. Keep in mind that the pandemic has exacerbated many existing inequities.
4. PROVIDE CLOSURE BY RECAPPING YOUR COLLECTIVE DECISIONS AT THE END OF YOUR CONVERSATION. Feel free to correct me if I have misunderstood, but it sounds to me like we’ve decided we will: ______________
Is there anything else we should talk about? How often should we check-in and revisit our COVID-19 household rules?
At the end of the day, it can be hard to follow COVID-19 protocol! But creating clear boundaries can help create a safe environment for all during the pandemic.
Resources on COVID-19 Regulations & Recommendations McMaster: covid19.mcmaster.ca/ Hamilton: hamilton.ca/coronavirus Ontario: covid-19.ontario.ca/index Government of Canada: tinyurl.com/cgovshec