josefbig
Chronicling my experience through the Big Brother Big Sister Organization

I was at the Denver Airport sitting and having a leisurely lunch waiting for my plane to get set to board.  I flipped on my laptop to quick get some work out, and BOOM!! there was an email.  I had a match…  I read his bio, 10 years old, African American, oldest of 4, likes to read scary stories, enjoys basketball and football, is good at math but struggles with reading in school… etc. etc.

Mom is looking for ‘BIG’ to educate and mentor, little is just looking for some fun and wants to be spoiled!! I’m going with little on that one

Sounds perfect!! I was already thinking of things we can do.  Of course the typical head out to the park and throw the ball around and shoot some hoops.  I have a dear friend that is a librarian for all the Minneapolis libraries (which by the way are a hugely untapped resource) and they put on fantastic programs for kids… we can go grab some sodas and listen to a few book readings, jump on the Internet and play around on the computers, go on scavenger hunts!!

Now I have an excuse to go the science museum once a month… ‘hey it’s for the kid’, we all know the truth here!!

I do a bit of volunteering with some groups in Minneapolis. One of them, The Cookie Cart,  where kids can go and bake cookies after school.  It sounds simple on top but once you get a little invovled it becomes a really cool deal.  The kids work as teams to bake the cookies, experience team work, time management, taking direction, completeing tasks and seeing the good that comes of it. They then go and sell the cookies in Minneapolis.  So many great teaching opportunities come from this:

I don’t really know about that for ‘little’ but it would be awesome to go hang out with some other kids, bake cookies, throw some flour at each other, get messy… it could be a great rich experience for the both of us.

Am I going way over the top here and thinking this kid is actually going to enjoy these… I look back when i was little and think Science Museum/Library/Baking Cookies… what, am I tryingto do here domesticate this kid?? Ha Ha, I guess I’ll figure it out, no harm in thinking up some fun ideas. I suppose I’ll quickly find out if he likes them or not.

Anyone out there have regular activities that you have done with your ‘little’ or children?? What do you do with them that is actually educational but they really enjoy doing… sort of a subliminaly rich teaching moment, that is fun at the same time!!

My head is whirling right now with thoughts..

Anyway I finaly got the call from my match coordinator and she said that Mom had looked at my bio, now that I had accepted theirs, and she thought I looked great for the position, and was ready to meet.  We’ve set up a meeting for next friday which happens to be a Good Friday… how appropriate…

The next step is that we get together at ‘little’s’ house with little, mom, match coordinator, and I, go through formalities of what I am and am not supposed to be for little:

Am:                a friend that is an adult

                         a mentor

                         a bridge to new experiences 

Am Not:        a disciplarian

                          a parent

                          a replacement parent

                           a counselor

After the ground rules and initial introductions ‘little’ and I will have some alone time, maybe go grab a burger and soda, for the rest of the day. Not sure what we’ll do yet but something simple and easy.  I was actually thinking about heading to the como zoo, but that may be better to do in the summer.

I think it’s really important to set these boundaries and first.  I imagine that it will take a little while, a few visits,  to feel each other out, and I also think that I need to be firm with him to set a standard, but losen up as we both gain each others trust.  I want to be someone that he respects, but at the same time keeping the lines of commication open between the two of us.  We’ll see!

Who know’s how this is all going to go, I do know that I can’t wait to get going!!  I’ll keep you posted!!