I think (and hope) that almost every parent wants their children to have a better life than them. From our vantage point as an adult, we look back and try to figure out what worked and what didn’t. We all want to take the good experiences we had as a child and replicate them for our own children. And we look back at weaknesses in our childhood and work hard to avoid them.
For me, a very specific skill that I wanted my kids to feel confident with was public speaking. My lack of education and encouragement in this area has often been a great cause of stress. And I think it has hindered me many times. If you let me write out what I want to share, I can shine. Put me in front of an audience and I…. don’t usually shine.
With this in mind, my mission was to get my kids up in front of audiences when we began homeschooling. Whether it was for homeschool events, nursing home visits, readings at church, or interviewing people about their jobs, I encouraged them to prepare and feel confident when they spoke. My oldest two started when they were 5 and 7. My youngest did his first speech when he was 4.
Although I’ve known Sharon since 2010, it didn’t occur to us to start a public speaking program together until 2016. Here’s an excerpt of what we sent out to the homeschool group that year:
Join us for Toastmasters Youth Leadership Program! It’s a fun chance for kids age 10 and up to develop speaking and leadership skills in a supportive atmosphere. Our bi-monthly meetings will last about an hour. The students will run the meeting while the coordinators provide training and guidance. Students will learn to overcome nervousness when speaking in front of groups, to organize and present ideas logically and convincingly, to listen carefully to the ideas of other students, and to offer helpful advice. In the end, students will find they love speaking and are excited about their new ability to express themselves in front of a group.
The program filled up and quickly evolved into our own unique creation, Green Mountain Youth Speakers. Each semester, we have fine-tuned to make our sessions meaningful and a growing experience for all, no matter what their level of speaking abilities.
Sharon and I have a wonderful partnership. She’s an amazing public speaker and is able to easily demo on-stage skills for our students. Most importantly, she sets an atmosphere that both encourages and challenges them. Meanwhile, I absolutely love helping to coach the students. Although never comfortable in front of the camera, I spent 10 years behind it coaching on-air talent for video production. I have found it incredibly gratifying to see our students grow and learn to feel confident in their public speaking abilities.
As I write this, my sons are now 17, 15, and 12. Unlike me, they don’t have any bad memories of having to sing an unaccompanied solo in the fourth grade when they can’t carry a tune. Or of countless totally awkward presentations. All three of them are confident speakers who look forward to getting in front of an audience. Mission accomplished.
What’s your mission – what do you want your kids to learn that you didn’t?
We’d love to hear from you!
All the best, Sarah