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Being a parent of a teen or 20-something is a mixed blessing. I know, I've helped raise a few myself, and now I am constantly surrounded by them. Regardless of their background, sex, cultural and social assets, interests, learning differences, and personalities, they all have one thing in common: they are young and don't have as much wisdom as us. As a parent, imparting that wisdom can be fun and rewarding, or arduous and frustrating.
Having someone other than a family member guiding and advising your son or daughter, niece, nephew or grandchild, can be an incredibly freeing experience for everyone. Often it is simply a lack of communication that halts the decision-making process during transitions. The idea that, as parents, we are nagging, or lecturing, is tiring for everyone. And the idea that our young adult children are lazy, indecisive or stubborn, is frustrating and oftentimes not true. Their feelings are not being communicated clearly and parent's responses are therefore not appropriate and certainly not embraced.
Successfully navigating transitions for young adults takes more than one person and perspective. After all, a multi-dimensional process for teaching the younger generation has been proven far more effective than the one dimensional methods used for prior generations.
What questions are you asking yourself?
When is he going to understand that he has to figure out what to do with his life? Why is she failing in college when she did so well in high school? Is she really going to change majors again? Should I help him get a job, or leave him to do it alone? Why isn't career services helping her network to find a job? Is a liberal arts degree going to prepare her for a career? I'm not sure medical school is right for him, but he's not listening. Won't making him work during college distract him from his academic commitments? What type of resume are employers looking for these days?
What are Transition Advisory Services?
They are a blend of guidance, mentoring, teaching and advocacy, so that the journey between education and the real world is exciting and productive, not challenging and full of rejection and frustration. Imagine giving the gift of a first class career services department focused only on your young adult, providing, insight, practical ideas, contacts, resources and cheerleading, whenever you need them. Conversations with their advisor may be easy, and sometimes hard, but they'll always be productive, and they'll always feel like they're making progress.
Practically, how do TAS work?
Our clients meet with us one on one, via Skype, phone or in person. Sessions may be weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, with assignments given in between meetings. When the transition has been successful, relationships tend to continue. Our clients love having someone who knows them well, in addition to a family member, to check in with, bounce ideas off, and generally share concerns and successes.
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