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Caring Adults Communicate Effectively -
Guiding Youth

 

Many adults (including parents!) will find it intimidating when asked to help “guide youth.”

This is probably because you recognize just how important such a task is!

Regardless of your formal role (parent, tutor, mentor, coach, teacher’s aide, counselor, friend, etc.), the fact that you are a caring adult will make your interactions with youth especially meaningful. And remember, if you’re motivated and enthusiastic about what you’re doing, you’re more likely to pass on that motivation than if you are preoccupied or disinterested.

Being a good guide really involves some fairly simple skills and, fortunately, like all skills, you can improve them with practice.

 

What Skills Do You Need?

Listening and talking are probably the most important ways that adults motivate and guide youth. And, while there may be some pretty clear “wrong” ways to communicate, there is no one single “right” way.

If you are able to communicate with youth on a regular basis, you almost can’t help but get better! But if you only occasionally bust out the “communicating tools,” you will find out just how quickly they get old, creaky, rusty—useless!

Some General Guidelines for Communicating with Youth

So, whether you are a parent or some other caring adult, here are some general principles for you to start practicing, and to always keep in mind when communicating with youth:

Reference
(Adapted from: The Youth Connection, a training series developed collaboratively by Dr. David Andrews, Dean of the College of Human Ecology at Ohio State University, OSU Extension’s 4-H Program and RISE Learning Solutions – website address: http://communityconnection.osu.edu/training/yc/)

 

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