Mentoring is an important part of every boy’s development, but it can be difficult work! Let us show you how we do it at Yazua Africa and give your family the tools they need for success today! Remember achievement starts with YOU as a parent! Our 7 Steps will teach you how to effectively mentor your child so they can become the leader of tomorrow.
Step 1 – Develop Character
Character is defined as a trait, quality, or high moral code. The development of a strong character is crucial to effectively mentor your son. Instilling good moral values and integrity at a young age is a good way to ensure that they develop a high moral character. At Yazua Africa, one thing we believe is that our sons emulate more of what we do than what we say. That is why we urge parents to act with integrity and good character around their sons and to be good role models.
Step 2- Commitment:
Teaching your son commitment is a very important step in mentoring your son for various reasons. Commitment simply put is the quality of being dedicated to a cause. Being a mentor isn’t about being a promise maker, it’s about being a promise keeper. When you make a promise to your son, make sure you follow through till the end. And that includes negative consequences too. Your son must understand that you say what you mean and you mean what you say. This reassures them that you are dependable and shows them that they can be that way too.
Step 3- Connection:
Effective mentorship requires a connection between the mentor and the mentee. A great way to establish a connection with your son as you mentor them is through being approachable, honest, and transparent with them. Show them through your personal stories that you have flaws of your own, not just the good parts. Help them understand that it is indeed possible to turn your life around.
Step 4- Compassion:
In today’s society, boys are raised being told that they need to be tough, that they should not cry or show weakness. Let’s change the narrative. It doesn’t have to be that way. As you mentor your son, it is important to show compassion to them. Create a safe space for your son to share, heal, learn and grow without judgment. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t correct them when they go wrong, but just let them know that you’re always on their side.
Step 5- Communication:
One of the most important aspects of mentorship is communication. Understanding your son and being understood by your son. It is one of the foundations of mentoring your son. Effective communication creates mutual understanding and trust among the members of the family. A thing to note is that effective mentorship requires listening, not lecturing. You have to learn how to ask the “right” questions, hold your son accountable, and empower, not enable him in the pursuit of his goals. It’s your job to be understood, and it’s also your job to make sure you understand.
Step 6- Coaching:
You can only take your son as far as you’ve traveled. As a mentor, you must show and demonstrate to your son how you got there and what potholes and pitfalls to avoid. Coaching offers your son an internal safety net of social and emotional skills to help him cope with the circumstances of his life. It is a good way to mentor him because as much as experience may be a good teacher, other people’s experiences are an even better one. Help him learn from your experience.
Step 7- Consistency:
“If commitment gets you started, then consistency keeps you going.”
Ultimately, mentoring is about building and maintaining relationships. There’s no such thing as an effective part-time father, and there’s no such thing as an effective part-time mentor. If commitment gets you started, then consistency keeps you going. It is important to show them the importance of always showing up, sticking to a cause day in day out, and never giving up. You may not be able to do everything for your son, but he should know you will always be there for him when he needs you the most. That is what commitment is all about! An effective mentor stays in constant contact with whomever they’re mentoring. Luckily/unluckily, there’s no end to parenting.
Yazua Africa is a non-profit organization that provides mentoring and education programs in Kenya. We are dedicated to helping young boys succeed by providing them with the skills they need to be successful in life.