Youth empowerment: 5 tips for an empowered youth
Wondering if youth empowerment can be effective? If you follow these 5 tips, you will find that it is very effective and can create amazing relationships with young people. You will learn that young people are amazing and capable of achieving anything they want. Youth empowerment can be challenging, but the rewards are worth it. These are the tips:
1: COMMUNICATE!
Communication is key when it comes to empowering young people. If you don’t have the best communication skills, it will be difficult for you to get along with teens. It can be difficult to communicate with them and you may need to learn to just ask questions and just listen to them; instead of telling them what to do. Young people don’t like being told what to do; and proper communication skills can really teach them to find solutions to their own problems.
2: be open-minded
I’m sure most of us can relate to having parents who disagreed with the music we choose to listen to; or the friends we decided to hang out with. How did that make you feel? By being open-minded and receptive to new ideas, we are more likely to be in contact with the young people in our life and they will be more likely to come to us with problems they may be having. Although it can sometimes be difficult to keep that mind open; Remember, the world is always changing, and if we want to have a say in the future, we must remain open.
3: be strong
Youth empowerment; As mentioned above, it can be extremely challenging. You will discover obstacles, encounter arguments and disagreements, and may not be able to communicate with the young people you are working with. Above all, you must remain strong. Young people will be admiring you; And looking weak will only drive them further away from you. Being a role model requires inner strength; so make sure you have it. You want to be clear about your limits from the beginning; and enforce those limits.
4: stay active
Although it may seem that young people just want to watch television and play video games; it is important to keep them active in something. Some teens may not want to participate in sports, but there are certainly activities that can involve them. Join them for a walk in the park, play a game of Frisbee, or even play a Wii game that requires movement. Simply getting young people off the couch and moving around will empower them and get their creative juices flowing. Creative juice equals empowered youth.
5: have a sense of humor
Above all, laugh. Laughter is truly the best medicine and also the fastest way to bond with another person. Be able to laugh at yourself and create an environment that encourages fun. This will not only make it more fun for you; But the young people you are working with will be encouraged to open up even more.
Working with youth can be a challenging endeavor; however, when you see youth empowerment materialize, it is very rewarding!
To learn more, join my free mailing list and receive a free guide to creating a behavioral contract with your teen. You can get more information on our website.