 |
A D V I C E A N D I N F O R M A T I O N : T I P S F O R P A R E N T S A N D F A M I L I E S
Be a mentor to your child
Parents can take cues from mentoring success
Olivia was a very shy girl struggling in math when she was matched up with a mentor a year and a half ago. Since then, her grades have improved and she's participated in several school activities, including a charity drive and a team reading competition (her school won).
She'll be better prepared as she makes the big transition to middle school next year, and she says she owes it all to her mentor Ann's encouragement and gregarious personality.
Good mentoring helps young people know who they are so they can navigate their life with more confidence, says Kelly Burns, who coordinates the SUCCESS mentoring program at Youth Eastside Services (YES).
In fact, research has shown mentoring to be one of the most effective ways to help youth succeed academically, personally and socially, Burns says. Mentored youth also are less likely to use drugs and alcohol and engage in other risky behaviors, she adds.
SUCCESS has served thousands of youth since it began in 1987. The program matches volunteer adult mentors with Eastside school students, ages 6 to 18, who are struggling academically, socially and/or emotionally.
Each pair meets two to four hours a week for at least one year, working on homework together, going on outings and exploring mutual interests.
The mentoring relationships at YES last an average of four years, with some continuing after graduation from the program.
Traditionally, mentoring links young people with caring adults outside their families, but parents also can serve as mentors to their children, says Burns, whose agency is one of the largest providers of counseling and prevention programs for youth in King County.
"The primary gift a parent can give to a child is their time and attention," she says. To be a good mentor, parents needs to set aside regular blocks of time for their children and focus on their interests, Burns adds.
Here are some other tips:
- Use everyday tasks as learning and bonding opportunities: a trip to the grocery store to teach budgeting or gardening to teach science.
- Find out about and foster your child's interests, be it soccer, music, art or reading maps. Remember to play and have fun.
- Be consistent. Do what you say you'll do and gently set clear limits.
- Be a good role model. Young people look to adults for cues about how to act and react.
- Ask your child to share his or her ideas and feelings. Give words to emotions, how they might look, sound and feel.
- Get young people out in their communities through church and school programs, community centers, and parks and sports activities.
- Listen. Children need empowerment as well as guidance. Give them a chance to make decisions and direct how your time will be spent.
- Remember that it's sometimes hard for children, particularly teenagers, to confide in their parents, Burns says.
Founded in 1968, the nonprofit YES is dedicated to creating self-reliant youth, strong families and a safe and caring Eastside community. YES provides individual and family counseling, substance-abuse education, prevention and treatment; community- and school-based violence prevention; and family support, consultation and training.
For more information on the SUCCESS mentoring program, call Janel at 425-586-2321 or JanelM@YouthEastsideServices.org
Back to top
|
|
