My FRIENDS Youth collection for parents for life-skills summer activities for young people in Holbæk Municipality

Dear Parent,

Life as a young person is not always easy. There are emotions that can be difficult to put into words, situations that seem unmanageable, and pressure from all sides — not least when the school year/final exam or job approaches with assignments, tests and/or exams. In addition, for someone there may be a mismatch between the framework of everyday life and their way of being in the world. This is normal, and thankfully, help is available.

During the summer holidays 2026, Trivselsfabrik through Ungholbæk offers a cosy and meaningful one-day course for young people aged 12—15 and 16—18, respectively, based on My FRIENDS Youth. This is one of several age-appropriate editions of FRIENDS Resilience© developed by psychologist Dr. Paula Barrett and recognized by WHO as an effective tool for strengthening the well-being and resilience of young people (not to be confused with resilience) and language to draw attention to needs and suggestions for adjustments and agreements — flexible frameworks — that will make it easier to participate in everyday life.

It's not therapy, and your child doesn't have to have special challenges to get something out of it. The course is aimed at all young people -- it's simply about giving them a language for what they already feel and feel, and some concrete tools they and their surroundings can use in everyday life and in school life.

**During the day, young people work with, among other things: **

• To put into words feelings, body signals and needs—own and others—in a way that feels natural
• Simple exercises to find calm, both in everyday life and when pressure is on
• To replace unhelpful thoughts with some more helpful thoughts, and to be able to put into words the difficult/heavy thoughts so that you yourself or with the help of others can grasp them and find a new way forward
• To plan assignments and prepare for exams, tests and interviews in a way that works — without getting stuck or overwhelmed — or can be used if it happens to regain balance, seek help and move forward
• To strengthen faith in one's own abilities and the courage to try new
• Achieving healthy life habits and activities that are meaningful
• To communicate what they think, experience and may need in order to be part of a certain framework — with respect for themselves and others and to be able to compromise
• Spot who they can go to when they need support, or even reach out to with offers of help — and practice actually doing it

That last point is perhaps the most underrated. Many young people wear a lot on their own, not because there is no one who will help, but because they do not quite know how to ask for it. We're working on that in the course.

We also offer follow up for you as a parent

So that what your child learns in the course can really live on at home, we offer two options for follow-up:

*Free collection — 2 hours: * An informal joint afternoon or evening where we collect what the young people have been working with, so that you get an insight into the tools and language your child now has with them. A good opportunity for you at home to back up what they have learned and support them in expressing their needs and coming up with solutions together where flexible frameworks are needed.

*Strong Not Tough — 1-day course for parents: * An entire course for those who would like more than a brief insight. Strong Not Tough is the adult edition of the same program your child is going through, and you work with the same themes and tools — just adapted to your own life. It gives you a common language and a common understanding that can make a real difference in everyday life at home and wherever you go, separately and together.

Many young people tell afterwards that they have finally found words for something they have long passed and felt within themselves. Imagine what it means if, as a parent, you know the same words.

We look forward to giving the young people a day, they take something good from — and to invite you parents inside afterwards.