YMCA takes priciples

Caring, honesty, respect, responsibility. What I take from YMCA principles.

Caring. Youth and young adults will follow the lead of someone they respect. I believe showing that you care in your words and actions is a part that respect building process. Youth have big eyes and big ears. They observe more than we adults know. Youth are looking for examples from other people in their life—role models—that can be positive or negative. I guess this is dancing around the nurture part of nature vs. nurture debate. OK. I believe nurture is more powerful than nature—when no genetic engineering is involved. I think we all know when we show caring and when we do not show caring, but are we aware of times young eyes are watching?

Honesty. The BS detector in youth is much more sensitive than adults I’ve observed. Youth know when adults are not real. A lot of people play games—what they say has a different meaning in reality, and is different than what really happens. I have found kids are attracted to people that have a small gap between what is spoken and what really happens. Kids will also adapt to the level of honesty around them.

Respect. I think respect is at the top of the “pyramid”. When a person (young or old) respects another, all the other ingredients are already present. Youth in our culture mirror the respect they receive. A respect that is built upon caring, honesty, and responsibility is a healthy respect, and a solid relationship will continue. The caring they see/feel, give and receive. The honesty they experience from other adults. The responsibility they are given (and keep) and give to others.

Responsibility. Although one can earn responsibility, I think giving responsibility can also be powerful. Youth want to be like adults—sometimes too fast (or so adults think). Youth need positive environments to grow into—to absorb. A positive or negative environment, youth will absorb like a sponge either situation, and future life will be affected for better or worse. Earning responsibility for someone or something is a big deal—not something to be taken lightly. It shows you have a certain level of respect for yourself and for others around you. Youth need growing levels of responsibility and the ability to show they can handle those responsibilities.

International. Another ingredient I think is important is international (or cultural) awareness: Having awareness for where others are from; being open to what another culture might be like—more than just the food—the language, hopes and dreams, way of life, how a country works on a day to day level, and what that country is like for a normal person. The world is only getting smaller and more people from different cultures will continue to come to live in the USA. I want to learn about other cultures as much as I can. I think that knowledge is important.