And teens can make great ones.

If you think your teen could be a good role model, encourage her to become a mentor to younger children. To be a mentor, your teen will have to decide on a few things:

• The age of the child or children she’d like to work with.
• How much time she has to spend with the child, and how long the mentoring relationship can last.
• How she will get to her meetings with the child. Can she drive herself? Will you drive her? Will she take the bus?

Here are a few ways your teen can work with children:

• Coach a children’s sports team.
• Contact an agency such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Scouts or Camp Fire.
• Tutor a child. Spread the word at local elementary schools that she is available for tutoring.
• Start a group for children to do crafts, play games or read.
• Volunteer at a daycare center.
• Ask a teacher for suggestions, especially if mentoring a child will count toward community service hours required by her school.

Mentoring a child shows caring and responsibility. Make sure your teen keeps a record of her experience.

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