Boarding schools can provide many opportunities for your children in a number of different areas; academics, sport, drama, music, debating etc. But they can also provide the starting point for kids to develop other skills, through volunteering, work experience programs and part time/casual work.
For many kids that are already playing sport and have lots on their plate already they may not have time for anything else during the week, however for others who want to explore different avenues and still be involved in the school community, volunteering and other work experience programs can be a great thing for them to do on the weekends or on spare afternoons.
Ask your School
Many schools can provide their students with these kinds of opportunities, both paid and unpaid. For example, at Kambala Girls School in Sydney, the girls are offered jobs as babysitters for the parents of the Kambala community, as afterschool carers in the Junior School or as academic tutors for younger boarders. They are also offered the chance to complete their Life Saving and First Aid Certificate which they can then use to become swimming teachers at the Kambala Pool.
Other schools such as the Scots College in Sydney encourage the older boys to volunteer as sports coaches for the younger years, do some repairs and maintenance with the Grounds Keepers of the school or join the local Surf Life Saving Club as part of their Bronze Medallion. As parents, if you can see that your child isn’t naturally sporty or academic, encourage them to pursue other avenues and opportunities where they can learn different skills and gain confidence in different areas. Skillsone.com.au, a national online careers database, recommends for parents to encourage kids to grab opportunities – show them how to consider all factors and to keep their options open – “you never never know if you never never go.”
Increase self esteem
Generation Next, an exciting initiative featuring a national seminar series and supporting resources aimed at protecting and enhancing the wellbeing of our children and teenager, also sees the value in participation in extra curricular activities as a way of improving children’s sense of self worth and self competence. In an article called Six strategies to boost self-worth, Dr Ramesh Manocha recommends parents to encourage the development of their children’s self esteem in the following ways;
• Provide many opportunities to discover capabilities by enrolling in sports and activities. (Gentle pressure may sometimes be necessary, for uncertain children)
• Encourage children to make decisions & seek alternatives (Don’t always give the answers)
• Engage in pre-planning, healthy debate and problem solving discussions at home (This can reduce the stress around tasks)
• Provide kind feedback on how to accept weaknesses or learn from mistakes
• Pursue occasions to give to the community (looking outward takes the focus off of the ‘self’)
Holiday Work
Work experience or casual employment in the holidays while the children are at home could be another thing to consider. For example, if you are a farming family and your child is interested in agronomy you could encourage them to spend a week with your local agronomist, or if they love animals, they could spend a week in the local vet clinic volunteering.
Benefits
It is easy to see a range of benefits for your teenagers such as;
They obtain valuable work experience, great for their resume.
They learn how to manage their time and own finances (if they are paid)
May provide networking possibilities and guide them to future careers
Provide constructive use of free time
Form good habits
Gain useful skills like improving communication, learning how to work with different people in different settings.
Instill new confidence, sense of responsibility and independence.
Some more resources on this topic:
**Generation Next – A national initiative for parents of teenagers (Australia)
Skills One – An online Careers website (Australia)
http://www.skillsone.com.au/articles/256/Special-Feature-How-to-give-kids-career-advice/
TeenJobs.com.au – An online careers search engine (like seek.com but for young adults aged 14 – 22)
http://www.teenjobs.com.au/
Teenagers and Jobs – An interview with Associate Professor Alan Ralph from the Triple P Parenting Programme at the University of Queendland about teenagers and jobs –
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2010/10/05/3030121.htm