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Dear parents,
Welcome to this page!
Is your daughter interested in joining our organization as a Little Sister ?
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Would you like your daughter to be accompanied by a Big Sister ?
We identified some questions that you may ask about our mentorship program Little Sister Big Sister.
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Click on the questions below to find your answer.
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If you have further questions please contact us for more information !
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Your daughter will learn and develop social and relational skills, which are not typically taught in school. These skills will be useful throughout her personal and professional life.
The Little Sister Big Sister Program will help the Little Sister to:
Identify and cope with her emotions
Better understand and love herself
Put her difficulties in perspective
Help with questions she may have about her future
Differentiate what is and is not important in her life
Better understand what motivates her
Find effective study methods
Learn to have more self-confidence
Our mentorship program does not propose a tutoring service for school. The Big Sister can occasionally help her Little Sister with giving advice on a subject and help her organize her studies for exams. This help remains, nevertheless, punctual and limited.
I’m interested in the mentorship program for my daughter but I don’t know how to talk to her about it ?
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Begin by starting a conversation with her. Choose a good time and ask her questions about her life and how she thinks and feels at the moment. Pay attention to asking open questions (that require more than a yes or no).
For example instead of asking “Did you have a good day?” ask her what did she like about her day, otherwise ask her what made her day difficult.
Try to have an open conversation with emphasis on listening to her, without giving advice.
Try to understand how she sees things, from her own perspective.
Here are some suggested approaches for you:
« I’ve heard about an organization that puts teens in touch with young adults who had more or less the same difficulties at the same age. Would you be interested in knowing more? »
« I noticed that it’s not easy for you right now concerning (this or that) and I’m concerned about you. I’m aware that as a parent I can’t always help you as you wish. Sometimes it’s easier to speak to someone outside the family and closer to your age, who is neutral and caring.
Would you be interested in meeting someone who will be like a big sister to you and accompany you during this time of your life?»
« I have the impression that you need help at this moment, even though it’s unclear what kind of help you need. I don’t think that you need a psychologist, but someone who could understand you and help you have a clearer vision about your future. What do you think? »
« I see that you wonder about your future. How about meeting someone who’s been there not so long ago to speak about it? Why don’t you look at this website with the profiles of various Big Sisters? You may be interested in speaking with one of them? »
My daughter has serious problems. Can a Big Sister help ?
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The Little Sister Big Sister mentoring program does not provide psychological therapy. Our Big Sisters have neither the vocation nor the training to accompany a Little Sister with psychological needs. We advise you to contact a therapist or a psychiatrist.
Our website has a list of associations in the area you may contact at your discretion but we do not provide any support in this regard.
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I’d like to meet my daughter’s Big Sister. Is it possible ?
The relationship between Little Sister and Big Sister is confidential. If parents were involved with the Big Sister, this important confidentiality would be lost. So there is typically no contact between the parents and the Big Sister.
Parents are however invited to contact the association in case they have questions.
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How can I be sure that everything is going well during the program ?
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We suggest that you discuss how the program is going at regular intervals with your daughter.
The relationship will be discussed regularly between the Big Sister and her supervisor, the Little Mom:
to ensure everything is going well or to receive advice in case of questions
in case of any serious problems the Little Mom will take over and contact you
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What happens to my daughter if the Big Sister is no longer able to continue the mentoring program ?
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The Big Sister is committed to accompany a Little Sister during 9 months. She signs a support mandate to that effect. If the Big Sister can no longer continue the mentorship program due to her personal situation or other major difficulties, we will help the Little Sister select another Big Sister from the different profiles available on the website.
What happens if my daughter wants to quit after a few meetings ?
To what does my daughter commit to as a Little Sister ?
After the first meeting between your daughter and the Big Sister, if both of them agree to pursue the meetings, they engage themselves in a 9 month relationship. If at any point during the support the Little Sister wishes to break the mentoring, we will talk with her to identify the motivations behind this disengagement and will look for solutions in order to help her keep her engagement in the best conditions.
It’s the engagement between one another which creates the cohesion in our community. It can sometimes be a challenge for some teenagers, and we are committed to helping them experience it. It’s also the counterpart we ask the Little Sister for, given the constant and purely voluntary engagement the Big Sisters and Little Moms give in offering her the most adapted help.
After 9 months is it possible for my daughter to become a Big Sister ?
You can tell her she will be more than welcomed in a few years!
In the meantime, she can remain in touch with her Big Sister outside the scope of the association. She can keep in touch with the association by participating in conferences from our guests, by writing a testimony about her experience as a Little Sister (to be published in the website) or by talking to her friends about the program.
As a parent, how can I contribute to the program ?
You can help us in multiple ways.
For example:
By making a contribution with a financial donation (our association is totally voluntary and non-profit)
By putting us in relation with associations or institutions that could be interested in a partnership
By giving your testimony
By talking about our mentoring program around you
In a time where reference points are getting erased in multiple fields, offering your daughter the opportunity to experience a mentoring program within the Little Sister Big Sister organization is a chance for her present and future life!
Help her seize it!
