The complete set of 198 Hints are available in paperback from the CYC-Net Press store.
Listen
Child and youth care workers inevitably have a number of roles thrust upon them. When youth are in residence, we fulfil a number of parental functions and so we get into parental roles. When we are expected by society to control out-of-control kids, we get into policing and containing roles. When we offer life skills and behavior curricula we find ourselves in teaching roles, and when we work with young people towards self-understanding and self-direction, we are in helper or therapist roles.
These may all be valid roles with youth coming into our programs, roles which aim to engage, stabilize, correct ... but, and especially when they seem to be working well, we must remember that they are not the end point of our work. They are only temporary and instrumental in leading young people beyond them.
For the real aim of our work is for kids to grow into adequately functioning and autonomous adults. We are not aiming for externally controlled, dependent and obedient kids. Therefore, whenever we find ourselves functioning in a parent, teacher, helper or therapist role, that's fine, but we know that our direction is ultimately towards mutual, reciprocal and role-free relationships with our "clients".
Our Child and Youth Care interventions are meant to be promoting strong identity, acknowledging individuality, allowing choices, inviting achievement, accepting diversity and building social networks – so that as soon as possible the young people will not need us for anything more but to say "Hi."
Get role-free.
