22 Mar Maintaining the Change

Although we often witness the effectiveness of our programs before the 9 days are finished, we recognise that the ultimate goal is to ensure your child continues these newly-acquired disciplines once they return back home, back to school, and back to the real world.

This month we are happy to present several ideas to help your child continue these practices for the ultimate post-program success story.

Participate in Regular Volunteer Work

While not every child may be ready to go out and get their first job, volunteer work gives participants the opportunity to change roles and stand out as a leader, often adding to their self-confidence, as well as aiding interpersonal relationships and communication skills.

Committing to regular weekly or monthly volunteer work not only makes your child accountable for participating but will likely fill them with a sense of pride and positivity. As an added bonus, volunteer work is often a great way to surround yourself with likeminded people who share similar interests and pastimes.

See a list of local Gold Coast volunteer opportunities to find a great fit or talk to your child’s school counsellor for more opportunities.

Stay Active

We all know the saying about idle hands, which is why we strongly encourage our program participants stay active, even after the program concludes. While joining a sports team may be a daunting task, staying active doesn’t necessarily mean your child has to commit to daily practices with the footy team to be successful.

Taking an early morning run before school starts, hitting the gym before dinner or going for a swim are all excellent ways to keep their body engaged and their mind focused on a clear and simple task. Previous participants have excelled at personal training sessions, and we highly recommend your child begin incorporating exercise into their daily life in order to make the most of the concepts acquired during the program.

Get Organised

It may sound simple, but organisation goes a long way in ensuring your child doesn’t get overwhelmed, distracted and stressed out over tasks that are ultimately very simple and straightforward. From allocated homework and study schedules to reserving time for a regular digital detox, it’s important that they stay motivated and on top of their assignments through proper organisational practices.

Reinforce Goals

Teenage years are full of both short and long-term goals, whether you’re learning a new song on the guitar, practising cooking your own meals or deciding which University to attend. Setting regular goals, small or large – and working to achieve them one at a time – is an excellent way to mark progression, and even helps them become a more well-rounded person in their formative years.

Parents can aid this by giving positive reinforcements and encouragements along the way, and even working together to complete new goals as a team.

Stay Motivated

 Similar to cheating on your diet one time and then giving up altogether, it’s all too easy to let one setback trigger negative behaviour. It is important to keep an eye on the bigger picture; continued motivation and encouragement play a valuable role in keeping your child motivated to keep going, keep trying, and keep striving to be the person they want to become.

For all questions or more information about our Veteran Mentors Programs and Parental Guidance Workshops, get in touch with us today on 0418 869 061.