ONE TRUSTED ADULT
Why One Trusted Adult?
ONE TRUSTED ADULT
Why One Trusted Adult?
Parents, guardians, at-home adults, kinship caregivers, and grand families are, and always will be, the primary influence in a young person’s life.
Research shows that young people who can name at least one trusted adult inside their home have an enormous advantage, showing greater resilience, improved physical and emotional wellness, greater availability for learning and engagement, and less likelihood of taking unhealthy risks.
We encourage parents and guardians to view their role as a trusted adult in three ways:
✔️ Through the lens of your direct in-home parenting and guardianship.
✔️ To expand their role as a trusted adult for other people’s children in mind. In some capacity, young people, beyond your own children, are likely to see you as a trusted adult and it is important to recognize the responsibility and possibility of this role.
✔️ To consider how you expect other trusted adults to show up for your children, including how to collaborate and communicate with teachers, extended family members, coaches, and others to provide your children with teams of trusted adults that best support their positive growth and development.
OTA Foundations Course for Parents + Guardians
Parents, guardians, at-home adults, kinship caregivers, and grand-families are, and always will be, the primary influence in a young person’s life.
Research shows that young people who can name at least one trusted adult inside their home and outside their home show greater resilience, improved physical and emotional wellness, greater availability for learning and engagement, and less likelihood of taking unhealthy risks.
We encourage parents and guardians to engage the OTA course in three ways:
✔️ To learn some new ideas and strategies for building trust with, and supporting, your own children in your role as an in-home parent or guardian.
✔️ To consider how you expect other trusted adults to show up for your children, including how to collaborate and communicate with teachers, extended family members, coaches, and others to provide your children with teams of trusted adults that best support their positive growth and development. In adolescence it is normal for the influence of peers and non-familial adults to increase, being a part of who your children engage with is key.
✔️ To expand your thinking about your role as a trusted adult to include how you show up for other people’s children. It is likely your children's’ friends are looking to you for guidance, reassurance, and support, and recognizing the responsibility and possibility of the role you can play in their lives is important for their well-being and yours.
ONE TRUSTED ADULT
One Trusted Adult
One Trusted Adult: How to Build Strong Connections and Healthy Boundaries with Young People by Brooklyn Raney lays out:
• Simple tools that help build trusting relationships with young people and expand the opportunities for positive impact.
• How to set clear expectations that keep both young people and the adults who work with them safe.
• How to create an organizational culture that cares for the whole child and celebrates the adults who get it right while holding accountable those who don’t.
• Ways to partner and surround young people with the only thing better than one trusted adult: many trusted adults.
What Parents + Guardians Are Saying
"This training was so impactful, and fun! The time flew by and I was left with new skills to put into practice as a parent immediately. The training also opened my eyes to the important role I play in the lives of my own childrens' friends. It was a great reminder on how crucial it is to maintain a village mentality and partner with all community members to do what's best for kids."
- Parent
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