If you’re lucky, you can think of at least one great mentor that you have had throughout your life. That one special person that pushed you and inspired you to go above and beyond to be better than you already are. If you’re really lucky, you’ve had a few of these special people in your life.
Mentors can be parents, aunts and uncles, teachers, or coaches. These are just a few of the generous people that can open a child’s life to wisdom, knowledge and experience. Here are the qualities that make you a great mentor:
The most important role that a mentor can perform is to support and encourage their mentee. Growing up can be tough, so when young people feel down, upset with their friends or families, or unhappy at home, mentors are able to support them through the tough time and guide them into making responsible choices when upset.
Mentors listen first and then speak. A lot of teenagers feel that they aren’t heard by adults. They often feel inferior, but mentors are different. They always listen, even if they aren’t obligated.
You Push, But Just Enough
A lot of teens don’t respond well to being pushed, especially by their parents, but most teens accidentally set very high expectations for themselves. Teens appreciate when their mentors push them beyond what they thought was possible.
You Have An Interest In Youth As Individual
Parents and adults don’t think that teens pay attention to anything other than their social life, but they do. Teenagers can tell when a parent or adult is actually interested in their education, hobbies and goals versus when the parents are just playing a role.
You Foster Self-Decision Making
Good mentors don’t judge young people, instead they are supposed to remind them and help them realize that they have the power to make good decisions. Knowing that they are not being judged, makes them more open to making hard decisions.
You Lend Perspective
Mentors are able to provide perspective from their own personal experience throughout life. They can put obstacles in perspective and help their mentee see both sides of the situation.
At DREAM, we provide a life-changing team mentoring programs to at-risk youth in Omaha, NE and Springfield, MO! Contact us today for more information or if you are interested in being a mentor!
