Mentoring

i'm thinking about being a 'big brother' style mentor. actually, i just applied. does anyone else have experience with this, any thoughts?

despite the 2am thread and application, it's not an impulsive decision; i've been thinking about it for a while. i really like kids, and i generally do well with them. i am a goofy person and i think it is a good thing to occasionally act like a child, i have a lot of respect for it. also, i am weak and kids know they can kick my ass, and that makes them feel good.

i'm married. i don't have kids. i can definitely see myself having a kid and loving them some day. but not right now. but at the same time, i am in a relatively stable living and work situation, and i have time for mentoring now. 2-4 times a month, for a year? i can do that, easy.

anyway, i'm curious about any and all flavors of experience with mentoring among ilxors, either structured/sponsored or as an informal thing. when did you start? when did you stop? what did you learn along the way?

non-2am bump

I volunteered twice a week for ~4 years at an after-school program where we were known as mentors. Everyone was paired with a kid but stayed in the same community space (a weird labyrinthine building shared with an alternative high school and a preschool) and did the same activities. I appreciated having program staff who did all the planning, and being able to focus on the mentoring aspect. It was super rewarding while it lasted, though the program kinda fell apart in the last few years due to money. That was a few years ago; not sure if a similar model still exists in the city. I've wondered how BBBS works but don't know much about it.

I think you'd be an excellent mentor, karl. You are genuine and open and you care about what matters. Just realize that, although what you can accomplish as a mentor will always be a net positive for any kids you help, your ability to change their lives has limits, and accepting those limits may be difficult in some cases. Go in with your eyes open.