Boundaries
Boundaries. We all have them. We all cross them. We change them. We accept them. We let people walk all over us and ignore our boundaries. There are good boundaries, bad ones and people who allow and enable others to walk through their cherished boundaries without a blink of an eye because of low self esteem.
So, who do I unpack this idea of boundaries? Perhaps looking at a situation and the boundaries that occur.
Cancer boundaries come to mind immediately to me. If Iâm recovering from an operation or am taking chemo pills, my boundaries are very important. Would I allow someone to push past that boundary? No, I would not. My health and my ability to deal with cancer are paramount. No one in their right mind would cross my cancer boundaries, would they? Everyone should know that I need support or even to be left alone as needed...right?
As a teacher, I see that children need to learn where boundaries are for themselves and for others. What would I do if a child in my classroom crossed the boundaries of my classroom management? I have an immediate answer: I would take the child aside, explain where the boundaries are and how they crossed them into an inappropriate place. I would also promote the idea of liking the person, but not the behaviour. Iâve become quite adept at my job and it has become second nature. Can that be applied to adult boundaries?
Friendships have boundaries. They can be very dependant on the person. There are certain people that I can tease, knowing that they know the boundary and are comfortable with it. There are others that I wouldnât think of teasing because their boundaries are different. So, is having respect for anotherâs boundaries important?
As a caregiver, I have become adept, like I have as a teacher, of instinctively knowing where otherâs close to me have set their boundaries. I wouldnât dream of crossing those boundaries on purpose. I can think of many times I inadvertently crossed a boundary by accident. Iâm thinking of a time when I went to tickle someone who was distracted by a massage chair and I ended up hurting him a little because he jumped as he was startled and the tickle turned into a tweak of pain. I was mortified! Here was a very good friend and I accidentally hurt him as I was teasing him. Would I deliberately cross a boundary that would cause harm to another? No bloody way! I was raised to be respectful of others and understand that everyone else has different points of view, varying boundaries that change with time, situation or are inherent to who they are as a person. Does a person always know that theyâve crossed someone elseâs boundary? One should be as conscious of boundaries as I am, right?
Iâve learned that there are people in this world who either have no clue about other peoplesâ boundaries or they truly donât care. Perhaps their boundaries preclude them from understanding my boundaries? Iâve had my share of narcissists in my life; there are ones that I didnât recognize as such and then there are the ones that play the game and pull you into a whirlwind of boundary crossing in such an insidious manner that I donât even notice it and get sucked into that hurricane of hidden agendas and reasons for crossing my boundaries or just ignoring that another person like me might even have boundaries. So, having been exposed, how to I come to recognize a person like that?
A close friend made an amazing connection I was ashamed that I hadnât thought of myself... Use the principles that I use in the classroom with children when I deal with adults who have no understanding of boundaries or choose to ignore them. After all, I deal in a professional manner with children. I explain the transgression and then acknowledge the person behind the manner. Iâve said so many times to so many children, âI just want you to know that I am so happy to have you in my class. I like you. Youâre a great person. What I didnât like was the behaviour and now you know that youâve crossed my boundary and we will deal with that, not you as a person.â The child goes away knowing that Mr. Miller cares about him or her - and I truly do! I treat my students as if they were my own children. I can recognize it in children. Does it apply to adults?
Yes. I have to be clear to define the boundary and differentiate between the behaviour and the person. Most adults will respond in a positive nature and the two of us will move on from the transgression. Iâd like to point out that I too, have crossed boundaries unknowingly. Iâve had to eat crow a few times and admit that I did so. I learned from those situations. I better myself by reflecting on how I crossed that boundary and make sure that I donât do it again in situations such as that. Finally, what do you do with a person who just doesnât seem to âgetâ that he or she has crossed one of my boundaries - even after spelling it out?
I think that the moral of this story is that I have to be who I am: a caregiver who always tries to keep the other personâs needs, wants, desires and try to above all, not trample on their self esteem. However, a line in the sand has to be sometimes drawn and that has been my nemesis. There are times when being kind and caring donât work and you have to be brutally honest. I canât continue to enable the behaviour and stop it in its tracks. I have to do it, not only for their sake, but for my own. No more enabling of boundary crossing behaviour. The line in the sand has been drawn and youâve stepped over it. Iâm done with it. Deal with it.


















