| For any leader of youth it is important to make up your | | | | allow an "anything goes" policy for free-time. Youth |
| mind right now what your expectations for the children | | | | spend this time gravitating to fads and popular trends |
| you guide truly are. Well meaning leaders have often | | | | based on peer references and media influence. There |
| gone astray because early-on they broke their own | | | | should be at least value-based boundaries for the |
| rules in teaching and training youth. | | | | free-time experienced by teens. |
| It is all too easy to bend the rules for kids you develop | | | | There is much more guidance and control in the |
| a positive relationship with. If you have begun with a | | | | classroom where the environment is regulated. If we |
| solid foundation it is important to keep on track with | | | | want to steer children from modern fads that require |
| established expectations. There are many today who | | | | much more mature decision making ability attention |
| treat one child different from another because of | | | | should be given to stimulus children receive during their |
| familiarity and perceived trustworthiness. | | | | "free-time". These fads can include body piercing, |
| It is important to be a positive role model to help kids | | | | tattoos and early alcohol use, among others. By being |
| make right choices. By making right choices and | | | | observant and corrective we can guide the child to |
| experiencing the resulting success kids develop the | | | | learn values and apply traits that we desire rather than |
| self confidence necessary to tackle problems later in | | | | letting a world of information into their sphere of values. |
| life. These will be major challenges that will hit them | | | | The regulations over free-time is critical if we want to |
| head-on in a much more mature state. | | | | see the children we mentor, train and educate become |
| One particular item that needs regulation is the | | | | positive contributors in a future society. Otherwise the |
| "free-time" encountered by each child. Too often adult | | | | future society may have the appearance of an |
| leaders, parents and even well-meaning instructors | | | | obscene MySpace page. |