We ask all our candidate graduates to make a plan to apply their leadership skills at home. Here’s how you can support your youth. We’ve encouraged them to expand their comfort zone, so don’t do for them what they are trying to do alone. Refrain from completing their commitments for them. Let them experience the natural consequences of both their successes and their failures.

Support their participation

Encourage your youth to take an active role in their youth organization.

• Help them find a group where they can experience positive association if they do not belong to one.
• Attend meetings of your child’s organization. Learn about what they want to get out of the experience.
• Get to know the organization’s leaders. Ask the leaders why they serve. Learn about their organization’s goals and purposes.
• Invest your own time in their organization as a way to stay close to your child.

Encourage them to set goals

Help your child set reasonable, ongoing goals for personal improvement, things that he or she cares about, vs. things you think they ought to improve. As you show respect for what they care about, they will respect your desires for them as well.