Boundaries and Saying No to Friends Task Box: Kind and Firm, High School

This boundaries and saying no task box teaches teens and young adults to say a kind and firm no to friends, about favors, lending, copying, pressure, and secrets that feel wrong.

Why I made this: One of students kept lending out her headphones, and three friends in a row never gave them back. She thought a no would end the friendship. We practiced "Sorry, I don’t lend those" until it felt normal. When she said it, her friend just said, "Okay."

What’s included: A 21 page PDF, plus an editable Word file, that holds:

• A teacher page with exact counts, a 2 week plan, and a reminder that a few good friends is enough

• Level A ●: 12 near errorless cards with 2 choices, in 16 point type

• Level B ■: 24 cards for favors, lending, copying, pressure, and secrets

• Level C ▲: 24 twist cards for a reply you did not see coming, a "no pressure" that is still pressure, or a friend who is upset by your no

• A "kind and firm" sort mat and a "saying no" reference page with okay and not okay secrets

• 3 practice pages, a twist marked answer key, a data sheet, a 10 session graph, a try it for real page with a 5 item adult check, and blank cards

How to use it: Read the saying no page together and practice a calm no out loud. Students work one level at a time with self check codes and the sort mat. Then role play a real ask, a second ask, and an upset friend, and use the adult check.

Who it’s for: High school special education teachers, 18 to 21 program teachers, school counselors, and families of teens and young adults. It also works for grades 6 to 8.

Format: PDF, US Letter, 21 pages, plus an editable Word copy. Level markers use a word plus a shape, so it works in black and white.

How this is different: The Personal Space Task Box covers touch and distance, and the Asking for Help Task Box covers asking for help. The Talking at Work Task Box and the Job Skills Communication scripts stay with work and bosses, and the Repair Conversation Cards are for adult talks after a conflict. This box is about a kind, firm no to a friend.

Made by Jeremy D. Gooch, special education teacher and transition coordinator. Drafting and layout had AI assistance; every page was checked by me.