Tips for Telling your Friends & Classmates
Just found out that you have to wear a scoliosis brace and haven’t told any friends yet? Don’t worry, we are here to help. You have lots of choices. You can choose to tell only a few friends or you can choose to tell your whole class. The important thing is that you choose to tell someone. By sharing what you’re going through, you’ll be lifting a big weight off of your chest. We don’t want you to feel alone in this process, so let your friends be a part of your scoliosis journey!
Telling Your Friends
Here are some ways to tell your friends about your brace:
1. Cell Phone to the Rescue
A simple text message or phone call can do the trick. Call or text your besties right away if you need to talk ASAP or wait a few days to digest the news on your own before telling them. The timing is up to you!
–
2. Brace Party
Looking for something more extravagant? Why not host a party to tell your friends about your brace? Make a brace cake or some curvy spine cupcakes. Play “pin the straps on the brace” and scoliosis trivia. See who can make the best curvy spine out of Play-Doh. The sky is the limit. Let your friends feel and try on your brace and give them time to ask you all kinds of questions. A brace party is a fun way to give your friends a better idea of what you’re going through.
3. Brace Sleepover
Getting a brace sounds like a good reason to have a sleepover! You can go all out with games and dessert or you can have a more relaxed night. A sleepover gives your friends lots of time to ask you questions about the brace and about scoliosis. You’ll also have time to let them try it on, and then they can see the brace in action when it’s time to go to bed. A sleepover is another fun way to show your friends what you’re going through.
_
4. Post It
If you’re on social media, you can post about your brace and put everything out in the open. We understand that this may not be the right choice for everyone, but by posting, you are essentially saying “this is what it is” and owning your brace. It can be very empowering, and you can teach people about scoliosis along the way! #rockhardabs
Telling Your Classmates
It’s up to you whether or not you want to tell your whole class at school. If you decide that you do want to tell the class, first talk to your teacher. You can have your teacher do most of the talking or you can ask if you can take the lead. This is a cool opportunity to teach the class about scoliosis and about your brace.
Here are a few ideas for activities that you could do with your class:
1. Play a round of trivia
2. Pass out curvy cupcakes
3. Have a contest to see who can come up with the best brace design
Worried that people will give you a hard time for wearing your brace?
You’re not alone. Sure, some people may give you a hard time. Maybe they are confused about why you have to wear the brace, so you could explain its purpose. Or maybe those people just aren’t very nice, in which case don’t waste your time on them. The important people in your life don’t care if you are wearing a brace or not – they just care about you.
