This is a superb article from Lead 4 Life on a topic that is rarely discussed:
Parents do everything they can to ensure their children’s success and well-being. However, kids need additional relationships outside the family in order to develop strong life skills. When it comes to human development, childhood is a crucial period; this is when we build our cognitive, emotional, social, and rational abilities. As they continue to grow and change, kids need more than parental figures.
A friend, teacher or non-parent mentor can introduce children to new ways of thinking and help them form interpersonal connections. This has far-reaching benefits, including better results in school and increased confidence. Plus, mentorship is especially helpful for at-risk youth. With help from a mentor, they are 52% less likely to skip school and 55% more likely to attend college.
A Third-Party to Confide In
A non-parent mentor is an unbiased third party whose job it is to listen. Every child’s situation at home is different. At times, kids may not feel comfortable sharing their innermost feelings with their parents.
Non-parent mentors are trained to get on their level and guide them in the right direction. They do this by letting the child communicate about things they might not vocalize normally, whether it’s bullies, poor grades or other worries.
Development of Self-Efficacy
As kids continue to grow and thrive, they need to know they’re capable of standing on their own two feet. You may be thinking, “Hold on! I don’t have to think about that until they turn 18, right?” Actually, this is something we should be thinking about long before our kids pack up for college.
The skills we build as children are like tools we obtain and put in a backpack. We carry this backpack around for the rest of our life, and when things come our way we can retrieve those tools we acquired earlier. This means that most children can benefit from developing a strong sense of self-efficacy.
By working with a non-parent mentor and making connections outside of family life, kids get the chance to learn about themselves and develop confidence.
Mentees Love Giving Back
90% of kids with a non-parent mentor show interest in becoming mentors themselves. A statistic like this serves to demonstrate the importance of mentorship. Mentors have a massive impact on their mentees, and the kids will always look back on that time fondly. It encourages them to help others, develop leadership skills, and give back to the community.
Additionally, working with a non-parent mentor fosters empathy, compassion and understanding. Children will take the spirit of altruism with them on their journey through life.
Lead4Life, Inc. Can Introduce Your Child to a Trained, Non-Parent Mentor
Does your child need a non-parent mentor? Visit our website and check out our mentoring initiative for more information, or contact us at 240-499-8949. At Lead4Life, we strive to empower every participant in our programs so that they may find their purpose, achieve their goals, and become poised, productive members of their community.
We advocate for those in need and assist each and every individual by providing compassionate education and valuable resources and tools so that they can make the very best decisions and develop important life, social, and competency skills.
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