Close your eyes and picture the people you have in your life who support you, want what’s best for you and can give you ideas and suggestions. These are your ‘human resources’. When I work with kids right before they head to middle school or high school (and it works for any age) I ask them to brainstorm what adults they have to talk with about important issues. I have them write down this list of their human resources. I suggest where to find these people: school, neighborhood, church, teams, extended family, family friends. I ask them to picture and list as many trusted adults as possible; people they know care about them and whose opinions they value. As parents, these are our assistant coaches while we coach the family team.
Kids feel safer, especially in transition times, when they know there are several people in their corner. The thought of having adults, in addition to parents, of whom they can ask tough questions, gives them hope and options. We all need to remember how many folks we have in this world who want what is best for us. Reaching out to one or more of these people when we do not know what to do, or could use advice or need a listening ear is powerful. When someone asks us for advice we feel honored and even more connected to them, so it is a win-win!
This is a tremendous exercise for kids of any age, both for personal and emotional safety. In fact, I think it would be a great exercise for adults to take the time to list those integral human resources in our own lives. I suspect that the list might be much different today for some people than it would have been even a couple of years ago. Bravo, Sabina, for such wise insights.