Mentoring – It’s Time!

I was taking a shower this morning and I had a great idea, somewhere between scrubbing my toes and rinsing the shampoo from my eyes.

My idea was this: somewhere around the 7th grade we should all be assigned a mentor for the school year! This should be mandatory. He or she, with the help from their parents, and maybe the school counselors, would pick someone from the community whom they would like to connect with for a mentor.

It would really be cool if mentoring became our civic duty, like voting, so every child could get a leg-up. The benefits would be twofold: the mentor would get recognized for what he or she does in life, boosting his or her confidence and making them better people with better confidence; and the children would get a new friend, cheerleaders and motivator to help them learn to make better life decisions. The children would get new ideas, and they can see how these people have made a difference and really helped others.

Mentors can come in the form of all the wonderful people who make any community vibrant – firemen, barbers, construction workers and volunteers can all come together to mentor one child for a school year. I know that we have seen this before but it usually happens one day out of the school year where people just come in and speak to a class for day. I advocate a mentoring program much more comprehensive.

In addition, l advocate a course one day a week, taught to every 7th grader by life coaches who can teach children about having a life vision, the importance of goals and goal setting techniques. These were the things that I was exposed to as a kid, because my dad was a life coach. It changed my life for the better.

This would be especially helpful for the children who don’t have proper role models in their lives. The children who do have role models will get an outside, unbiased understanding of what their life options could be.

In either case, whether they live in the inner city or the suburbs, children would be less likely to choose gangs, drugs or other detrimental life choices. This would lead to a better society, and yes, better relationships that will lead to better family units when they decide to settle down.

I can’t see any downside to this mentoring program, can you?

Absolutely no cost to the community
No endless, useless, political fighting
Mentors who benefit from volunteering and in turn build their confidence
The children get to see the positive choices available to them

OK, back to my shower, I am not done scrubbing.

Related Posts

Stop Drawing in the Wrong Guy – Understand Yourself and Get the RIGHT Guy 

Your last relationship just ended. It was with the same type of guy you have […]
Do Your Surroundings Suck?Are you surrounded by toxic food? Toxic work ethics? Toxic people?

It occurred to me, […]
Your Journey of Self Discovery Starts HERE!

Thank you again to all of you who took the time to click, read and comment on my […]
What Does Who You Date Say About You? Part 1

We all get caught in ruts in life – we find ourselves eating the same foods, wearing […]
Women are Their Own Worst Enemies

I once worked with a woman who wouldn’t go anywhere without mascara – even when she […]
5 Questions to Determine if Your Boyfriend is Marriage Material

You’ve been dating for a few months and you really like him. But are you ready for a […]