What do Warren Buffett, Martin Luther King Jr., Michael Jordan, and Albert Einstein have in common? A mentor.
Most happy and successful people have been encouraged and supported by a mentor on their life journey. The start for obtaining a life of happiness and success can simply start with a mentor. A mentor is a catalyst for someone’s desired outcome and this is especially true for teen boys.
Parents are significant influences in their son’s life; it is also clear though, other adults can, and do, affect important outcomes such as education, social and emotional well-being, and health and safety. These are some of the reasons why mentoring is becoming a favorable strategy among parents for youth development.
Parents usually have a lot of experience making decisions and are eager to offer advice to their children.
Some parents say, “I have all the right answers to what he needs. Why doesn’t he want my advice?”
What your son might need is someone to ask him all the right questions, helping him decide what will work and what won’t. Parents also can’t be everything to their children either; If you are struggling under the weight of a stressful job, illness, divorce or other personal problems, it may be time to look for another caring adult to lend a hand. A mentor in your son’s life may also allow you to take a moment to relax or reflect on your own purpose in life. Parents need to take care of themselves too.
In a Teens Today study conducted by Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) found encouraging results about how a mentor has the ability to reduce the excessiveness of drug and alcohol abuse, and decrease incidents of youth violence.
In a recent story about six teens in New London, CT, are faced with various charges in connection with the murder of another man who was walking home from work. The teenagers said they killed him for "no reason" other than "because they were bored".
The teenager’s lives are now changed forever. But, a mentor could have affected the outcome for those teenagers by simply being a positive role model in their lives.
When a teen boy lacks an adult mentor it is more likely he will become directionless, involved with drugs, commit a crime or be violent. Boys need direction in their lives and crave the attention of other male figures. A mentor has the ability to help your son construct a happy and successful life, being a motivating link to a successful future.
It is important for a parent to find a mentor who is, patient, flexible, trustworthy, and will nurture your son’s potential to the fullest. A formal relationship with an adult can be a turning point to helping your son foster a strong character and positive behaviors.
The key ingredient in a young teenage boy’s life is affection from another caring adult male. A mentor.
By: Steven Cessario, founder of CT Youth Mentoring & Coaching. www.ctmentorandcoach.com
