Share Your Mentoring Advice. Win a "Role Models" Prize!

I would tell the kid to try to be happy with themself no matter what because they are the only one that matters.

Great movie! I have learned (by doing the opposite) not to let little ones play with your lap top computer!

Danny and Wheeler need to remember back to when they were that age and put aside their own current issues to better the children. At the same time, they need to channel their fun loving lifestyle of present day and show those kids how to have fun in a CLEAN and RESPECTABLE manner. Should be a great movie - I'd just love to watch this one!

The one thing that sticks out for me at this very minute, is never tell your children what you did wrong as a child or teenager yourself. They will always use this information later to get you.

Listen more than you speak!

If you believe in yourself, it shows through and others will pick up on it without you trying. When I am mentoring I am just myself and listen to them. That is all most kids need, a friendly ear and no judgment.

I tell my son to be a leader not a follower, always be true to himself, never be afraid to speak his mind, and always talk to me about anything-I will listen and not judge-he is 14, hard age for kids today! I also tell him to treat others how you want to be treated and that has actually stuck with him, if he sees another at school getting teased he steps in and he becomes friends with them and in return his friends welcome them too. Believe it or not, our kids do tend to listen to us....most of the time! LOL!!

I'd tell them to take pre-college schooling more seriously. It's something I wish I had done now that I am older and looking back. I had to relearn a lot in college that I would have learned in high school if I had payed attention and cared about schoolwork.

Dear Danny and Wheeler,
Please take this advice in the way that it is given! I want you to think of everything that you have done and think about why it went wrong! First was there alcohol involved? There is your first mistake. Stop with the alcohol!
Second, Did anything you do make you think,"My Mom always says not to do this!" When you hear that little voice in your head, Stop and think," is this what Mom was talking about?" If the answer is yes than dont do it! If the answer is No then take off your headphones, your hearing the disc jockey again!
And lastly guys, whatever you think you should do, DO THE OPPOSITE! This will work at least 50% of the time!

I would encourage Danny and Wheeler to take the initiative . They might feel insecure, but they should remember that adolescents feel even more insecure. It is also important that they learn how to both care and share their life experiences. As long as they become friends, motivators ,guides ,coachs, tutors ,companions , resources , confidants , listeners , cheerleaders ,supporters , advocates , advisors , sounding-boards ,networkers negotiators or role models and they try hard not to become counsellors, therapists, saviours, cool peers,the mentee's scheming sidekicks,taxi's, advisors,disciplinarians, or nags they will be doing all right.

My mentoring advice would be: before you do something ask yourself would I be doing this if my Mom or Grandmom were here right now? If the answer is No then you probably shouldn't do it!

Stay in school and get good grades....what you do today could either help our hurt you later in life.

My best piece of mentoring advice is when making a decision always choose people over things.

My advice would be think before doing anything saying to yourself will this help or in the end not be the right action to take now. Most of the time if we wait a few minutes to think about it, then we have time to make better choices.

The one thing that would explain to help Danny & Wheeler is "responsibility" they are now responsible for how those two kids turn out - once they realize this it should make them grow up really quick! I was a young mom and as soon as it hit me that my choices, the things I think, the things I do will effect this child for the rest of its life. It smartened me up really quick! Just think about it - everything you say, do, think will have a positive or negative effect on that child's life for the rest of it's life!! Really makes you think!

Choices in life will predict your future.

My advice...always trust your gut, unless your gut is full of alcohol, then do the opposite!

Actually, I did have a great mentor in my great grandmother for many things in life. She was a go getter even in her 80's and 90's. At 82, she decided she wanted to refurbish her VW bug and she did, by herself!

When I was younger and thinking about doing something a bit crazy, I would ask myself, "Would MomMom do this?" If I thought that she would try it, I would go for it. I remember thinking of her when I bungee jumped....yes, she would have liked that!

My advice is to "walk and talk the good life". picture what a good life would be and live it by being good and doing good.

Who cares what you are wearing, no one is going to remember what you wore for very long, they are too worried about what they are wearing.

listening
acting like you should when you think they are not looking?
listening and understanding how they feel, even if you dont agree with it

Well, kids only think of the here and now.... I know this cause i think like that as well. We were born into the world of technology so that is one big thing with us. Many parents can remember when they had to go outside and play. But us, we can just stay inside talking to friends or on the tv or on the computer(like right now) or many times we do both. Communicating with us can be hard most of the time cause of technology.

But that is ok, cause children are supposed to be hard. It is supposed to be that way cause no one give you a manual or makes you take a class. It is not something that goes a smoothly as most people think. I should know i am very difficult with my parents. The parent, just like mine, take care of the financial things and don't clue me in. So, kids mainly teens, like myself, play the one up game with everyone around us. So, we just want and buy, buy, buy. This is probably the most frustrating things with my parents cause i would get something and want a totally new thing. So, please take a step back and try to understand where we come from.

Bullies and other things in high school and even the younger schools still exist and maybe to a high extent now. Now many people in my school are tortured for not having the right clothes, games, cars, money, phones, i-pods, and tons more. Like now we deal with the pressure of being kept up to date or left behind. That is the thing that many teen and children have to deal with.

So, try to talk to us and if we don't then don't take it personally we deal with boys, girls, teachers, work and many other problems that we just do not want to open up with. Hang out with us(but not in public cause that can lead to embarrassment) or go on a vacation cause that might be the best thing. To escape school and come back with a fresh start that no one else has. But above all DO NOT YELL AND SCREAM AT US OVER SOMETHING cause it will only make things worse.

Try to do some of the things that we like or want... show some interest and you might even find out that you enjoy seeing us succeed at the things we like. I know that my parents do. So, now it is your turn to take the initiative to be more active and begin to let down your hair and loosen the belt because that step might be the best way to get to your kids.

If Danny or Wheeler plan to pull off a Madlyn Primoff drive away faster because you don't want the kid catching up to you after you kick them out of the vehicle.

I would tell kid that they need to be thereself and to stay in school ,and follow there dreams .

I would tell them its never to late to change and go the "right" way and do good:)

learn as much as you can while you are young because it is harder to retain as you get older!

One of the things I learned while tutoring high school students was how much they relied on using their calculators doing simple calculations. I was appalled by that and I strongly encouraged the person I tutored to rely on their own self, as this was the best way to learn algebra. I could understand it if it was calculus, but it was algebra.

I have so much advise for my kids ..One would be to make sure to do the best you can in school and go to college, make something of yourself as this world is getting harder and harder to live in each day!Another would be dont rush into things like dating and having kids,do what you need to for you first and wait till you are settled to have bf/gf and a family. Another one of my advise is to never think nothign is going to happen to you! the world has really gone bad and there are alot of people who would hurt you in this world so make sure to think about this before you think its ok to just go walking down the road by yourself. Oh and one last thing would be get a head start on college now. know what you want to do and get started on it knowing what you want to do makes it alot easier when the time comes ...dont wait till the last min.:)

Do what you love!

take care,things over people

Listen for the question. Kids mat say a lot, but underneath is the real question and it usually has to do with whether you value them.

Always be there, encourage them and always listen

when being a mentor "SHOW don't TELL", as in - be a good example :)

Before doing anything, they need to ask themselves, is this the right thing to do? Plus it's not always about you, sometimes you have to put other people first but not at the expense of yourself if it will affect your life in a bad way.

It's important to encourage children and adolescents in the areas they are most passionate, even if you may have other ideas about how a child should spend their time. Encouragement to grow and acceptance for who they are really goes a long way. It's also equally important to live what you believe, since children pick up on what you say versus what you do.

Treat each child as an individual. For example, if you have a kid who understand logic and reason and you catch him playing with matches, you can say, "It is dangerous to play with matches. If you were to burn the house down, we would not have a place to live, and you would lose all your nice things." And the wise child will understand and put the matches down.

If you have a little knot-headed kid and you catch him playing with matches, just grab his favorite teddy bear and torch the thing. This is the only way you will reach this child. If you say, "Put the matches down!" he will say, "NO!" Burning up his teddy bear and promising to torch more of his treasured belongings will drive the point home. For the severely stubborn or stupid child, set the little nipper's favorite t-shirt alight while he's in it. Douse him with a bucket of water before the burns go second degree, but just before.

What I'm saying is, sometimes you have to show some tough love when you have a stupid child that takes after his father.

Read "How to Talk So Your Kid Will Listen, How to Listen So Your Kid Will Talk". Then remember that you can always be on your kid's side, while at the same time refusing to give in to them when it isn't appropriate.

Otherwise Get to know your kid! - only then will you be able to figure out how to approach them. Watch them, listen to them, think about them. Spend the time. When they are young adults and you are the one person they really believe understands them, you will be in a position to do more good than you can imagine.

Oh - and turn off the TV - on the day of their birth. Read to them everyday.

I went to school to be a teacher because I love working with kids. The one thing that I've found that applies to ALL kids is that they can tell if you have respect for them. They will know if you look down on them or treat them differently for any reason, even if you are just trying to be nice. They all deserve a fair shake.

The key is to never give up. As well as to listen, and always be there for them. They need to know they can trust you if no one else.

Bottom line, in order to mentor someone, we must connect with them on a real and personal level. Find their interests and spend time with them pursuing their interest, whether it's a sport or hobby or interest. Develop a genuine relationship, built upon quality time and respect for one another, and a door will be opened allowing the mentoring process to take place.

First and foremost, knowing what NOT to do is one of the biggest steps. A piece of advice I gave my stepson ~ very vague in some respects ~ but in the big picture:
An excerpt from "Don't Regurgitate My Thoughts"

"However, I walked into his room and began asking him about his study habits. He had a confused look on his face when he explained how he studied. I made some suggestions on improving the skills ~ not changing them, but adding to them. He kept saying "yes m'aam" and "thank you for your help."

Then I asked him about his goals. There was a long silence ~ and he finally replied, "to please my parents." I hung my head. I believe young adults should want their parents proud of them ~ but they should also have their own goals and expectations of themselves.

I looked up at Colby (I was sitting on the floor) ~ and told him that was admirable. However, I think they would rather be PROUD of him, than pleased by him.

I suggested he take some time to think through what he would like to achieve this year. Write his goals down, then I would help him make a plan of action.

I don't think anyone has ever asked him, "what do you want from you?" My goal is not to keep him a child ~ but help him think for himself. Further, I know he will make mistakes ~ he may not achieve all of the goals he sets.

I don't want Colby to act exactly as I do ~ or so what mom and dad does ~ he is an individual ~ intelligent and kind. I want him to think on his own ~ make mistakes, then, most importantly, take responsibility for them, correct them ~ and move on.

I want him to be himself ~ not live a duplicate life of anyone else. "
~j

One of the best things a mentor can do, is to teach that there is not shame in not knowing, there is more shame in not looking. If who ever you are mentoring asks you a question, and you don't know the answer, just tell them you do not know it. Then show them how to break it down and look up the answer.
Mentoring is not teaching the answers, but the information about how to deal with the challenges in life, and knowing how to find answers is one of the most important tools you will ever need.

I have got to see this movie! My advice is to let the kids be kids...let them make mistakes and learn from them, most of all...let them be themselves.

The best way to mentor is by example. You can tell them all you want but if you are not walking the walk yourself, forget it, kids can spot a phony hypocrite a mile away. You have to live what you're trying to teach them!

The winner drawn to receive a Role Models hat and t-shirt is EM JAY ???? W.!

Congrats!

congrats to you:)

Thank you. Now follow my advice, but I will deny it all when the authorities come after you.

Congrats to all the winners