I’ll be honest. I’m great at helping others but could use some practice in asking for help. I’m someone who jumps in to offer help when someone seems to be struggling. With that instinct, I assume that others would do the same when I’m in need of help. Most of the time, it doesn’t work out that way.
I know, I know. Expecting others to figure out what I need is like expecting water to pour itself into my cup when I’m thirsty. Needing to be more assertive is something that’s hard for me because self-reliance is something that’s instilled into me from an early age. I love the autonomy that comes with being independent.
There’s a difference between independence and solitude. I enjoy being around another person or a small, intimate team of colleagues, friends, and family. Being independent is being able to make decisions that work for me, not traditions or societal “norms”.
Currently, I’m out of my comfort zone and coaching other adults and teen volunteers within the Early Kids ministry at my church. I’m so grateful to have a great group of volunteers yet I’m having trouble not being the “fixer” to every problem. Letting go, delegating, and supporting others instead of doing everything myself, is a HUGE challenge for me. I’m a hands-on person in ALL sense of the word. If I see a situation, I would jump in and figure it out. There’s no manual when working with children so much as being flexible even when there’s a curriculum plan in place. Some days preschoolers don’t want to do a Bible story-related craft and that’s OK! We can give the child materials for the craft to complete at home and engage with in-class games and talk about the Bible story as it relates to their 3-5-year-old selves, instead. As long as the child stays interested, they’ll engage in class.
Having shared this, it takes a special kind of adult with a growth mindset to be a long-term fit for leading a class of preschoolers. In the beginning days of leading a curriculum class, I found myself “less-than” when I couldn’t engage the child in the craft. My specialty was comforting babies and toddlers through separation anxiety by using different techniques involving soothing music and multiple toy alternatives. How can craft NOT be more interesting?! Over time, I let go of expectations and met each child’s emotional needs for the weekly hour of time that we had together.
Coming out of COVID, these toddlers may not have experienced social settings that involved peers or adults. Knowing that I struggled with the adjustment as an adult, it’ll take more time for a toddler to understand that we CAN share and we CAN be near each other and have fun.
All in all, I’m working on being more assertive and asking for help when I need it. Thanks for reading through this until this point! Is there something you’re working towards that could use a bit of help?
@BonzColoring 