I love being a Big Sister! It is such a fulfilling experience to be a good role model for my Little Sister, while getting to do fun activities. We love to craft and draw together, go to the park, go swimming at the beach and in my pool, and especially getting ice cream together.
My Little Sister gives me the opportunity to see the world through a child’s eyes again. She pushes me to do things I wouldn’t normally do as an adult – like jumping in the pool instead of wading in, or breaking out into song and dance with her. We talk about things going on in her life, and I know she sees me as a safe person. What I enjoy most about our time together is that it’s meant to be fun. We have serious talks sometimes, but we also play a lot of tag and hide and seek. I don’t have to try and be her teacher/counsellor/parent, my job is to just have fun with her, while being a positive role model.
I’ve been curious about the Big Brothers Big Sisters program for quite some time, and finally decided to go for it this spring. I couldn’t be happier with my decision! The team at BBBSLG is incredibly supportive, and they even provide us with a calendar of free/low-cost events and some activity supplies every month. Like I mentioned, there’s no expectations of you being an extra parent or counsellor, the goal is to provide a child with a positive experience/interaction once a week (the timing of getting together is totally flexible to your schedule!!). If you are thinking about becoming a Big Brother or Sister, I say DO IT! This program is life changing not only for the Littles, but for the Bigs as well!
– Big Sister, Amanda