I'm interested in becoming involved in this as a Big Sister. For any of you who have either been a Big Brother or Big Sister or for any of you who had a Big Brother or Big Sister as a kid, what were your experiences like? What did you like/dislike about it? Did you enjoy it?
2007-02-19 04:56:52 · 5 answers · asked by Lady in Red 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Community Service
I am an active Big Brother, and it's a great experience. If you don't go into it with any preconceptions or expectations, you'll do well. This is the second time I'm doing this, and there's not really one specific moment that stands out. It's the collection of all the different times spent with my "little" that matter.
Sometimes, it's hard to tell if you are making a difference. You can spend a lot of time at the movies, playing ball, or doing other activities, and you might not see the immediate impact on your child. After having conversations with the parent and/or match specialist, you can sometimes determine if you're making a difference. I guess that's hardest part of the program -- not knowing if you really make a difference or not, especially when your match is kind of shy or withdrawn.
I've always had a lot of fun in the program. We don't necessarily do special events too often. Usually, we might just go to the movies, or out for pizza, or shopping, or other normal activities like that.
There are a few different programs offered by BBBS. I have participated in their main program, which matches you with a "little", and requires about 2-5 hours of time about 2-3 times a month. There is a match program that is part of a school program as well. In that program, volunteers are matched with a child at school for about an hour once a week.
There is an extensive interview process and background check involved. After you get past that, you might have to wait a while for a match. In both cases for me, it took almost a year before I got matched.
Good luck!
2007-02-19 17:57:36 · answer #1 · answered by Brent 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was a big sister when I was in college. I had an amazing experience. My little sister was an older girl and we got to do many fun things. Some times we would go shopping, work on homework, play at parks, decorate for holidays, watch movies, bake cookies, etc. The things that I didn't like were specific to my case and not the overall experience. One thing was that I had to drive a ways to pick up my little sister, so it cut down on the time we got to spend together and the other thing was that she lived with both of her parents (almost all littles only have one parent around) and it was sometimes awkward around their house.
There are two different BB/BS programs you can usually do. There is the program you mentioned where you have a little brother or sister. The time commitment is usually a few hours a week. There is another program where you work with children, usually during after-school programs. This one is less of a commitment and you are not specifically paired with a child.
Once you sign up, they will do an extensive interview with you to help decide which child you will match up with best. They will do a background check (including traffic violations if you will be driving your little). It is definitely a very good thing to get involved with.
2007-02-19 10:31:43 · answer #2 · answered by Jen 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am a Big Sister now and I find it a lot of fun! We hang out on Friday nights and the best part is really getting to know my Little Sister. It's almost like being a little kid again. The only disadvantage would be the timing because I'm usually really tired Friday nights but she gets me pumped for the rest of the weekend. You should definitely do it!
2007-02-19 05:08:55 · answer #3 · answered by L 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I used to have a big sister. I was the oldest in my family and she was a good role model. She tutored me and helped me keep my grades up. She also helped improve on my soccer skills and now I love the game. She made me take things seriously and she showed concern for me when others in my life couldn't care less.
2007-02-19 05:01:01 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you have to be over 18 to be a volunteer because "littles" can be up to 17 years of age. Race is not an issue as long as the little does not have a problem with it, if the little prefers a specific race its up to him or her.
2016-03-15 22:04:05 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋