Becoming a Child Mentor

Many of you reading this will be able to look back on your own childhood perhaps fondly remembering the things you learned as you were growing up from your parents, grandparents, teachers or others with whom you came into contact with – sometimes it might have been some useful knowledge that was passed on to you or, more importantly, maybe you benefited from a stable upbringing in a warm, loving environment in which you were able, as a child, to get to appreciate what was right or wrong in life and also within your own behaviour and attitudes and to establish a set of ‘values’ which you’ve maintained throughout your adulthood.

You’ll also have developed a solid foundation upon which to build relationships with your peers and with others which will have been carried on through into adulthood. There is no doubt that the world would be a happier, safer and much better place were we all able to have a similar experience. However, for many children, this simply isn’t the case. Whether it’s due to neglect, abuse, social deprivation, being orphaned, being abandoned or for any other reason, some children do not experience anything like this form of upbringing which is where becoming a child mentor can play an extremely important part in re-establishing a child’s place in the world and gives them a sense of self-worth, confidence and identity.

Mentoring Organisations

There are several organisations which specialise in early intervention and aim to assist primary school children so that they are not at risk of social exclusion and behavioural problems later in life. Ultimately, the role of a child mentor is intended to achieve lasting change in the life of a child by encouraging and nurturing the development of important life skills.

What Type Of Children Do These Organisations Work With?

The type of children you may get to work with as a child mentor will vary tremendously as they’ll all have their own unique backgrounds, personalities and issues but the one thing they’ll all have in common is that they will all feel vulnerable in some way or other. They may have suffered from family neglect, instability at home or lack of adult supervision and may experience problems ranging from poor social skills, difficulty in forming healthy peer relationships, bad conduct, hyperactivity, poor concentration etc. Usually, they will have come to the attention of the organisation as a result of being contacted by a child’s primary school.

How Might I Get Involved And Do I Have The Right Skills?

You would need to complete the relevant application forms along with police check forms and supply details of two character references after which the organisation would supply you with details of the next available training dates. It’s not necessary to have particular skills but more a case of your personal qualities and values that they’re looking for along with your commitment and enthusiasm. The type of qualities you’d need would include a friendly approach and an ability to relate to people especially children, a sensitive tactful manner, enthusiasm, a sense of responsibility, good listening skills, common sense in abundance, a sense of humour, consistency, self-motivation and a commitment to see things through.

What Might The Work Involve?

You’d become the child’s confidante and able to listen to their concerns and problems. You’d want to gain the trust and respect of the child so that they will value your opinions when it comes to you trying to get them to understand the consequences of their actions and choices. You’d also want them to discuss their own goals and to come up with ways in which they might be achieved and to encourage them to develop their own social skills. You would be involved in sharing positive experiences with them and to encourage them when they do particularly well to reinforce the progression they have made. You’d discuss their progress with the child him/herself whilst you are mentoring them and both with your supervisor and, where appropriate, with the child’s parents through building up a relationship with them also and you would be expected to plan and record each session you spend with the child and to be able to report and give feedback on their progress. You’d also be responsible for the child’s safety at all times whenever they are in your care. Being able to offer a couple of hours a week, every week is crucial in this type of role. It is not for the faint-hearted and for those who may not be able to meet with the child on a regular basis as this could be very detrimental to the child’s progress as they will have put a lot of trust and faith in you.

Becoming a child mentor can seem quite daunting if you’ve never thought about it previously. And, whilst the prospect can seem very challenging, most mentors are simply ordinary people carrying out an extraordinary role so you should not be put off by thinking it would be beyond you, as the likelihood is that if it’s something you find very appealing, you would probably be very good at it given adequate support and training.

There are other more informal ways you can become a voluntary child mentor. For teenagers, for example, why not contact your local youth club or community centre to see if there are any opportunities to work with teenagers within your local community as this is another area where you can make a real difference. You’ll not only be helping someone to steer a more productive path for themselves through life, you’ll feel very appreciated and rewarded to and it will be an experience you’ll never forget and you’ll probably also end up with a friend for life.