Often we are asked ‘how do you manage fighting, conflicts, safety, and discipline”? Well, there are many ways the community handles conflicts and ‘helpmates’ is one of the way. Helpmate is a platform where one adult and few kids take the role of helpmates. Anyone can approach them for help, they can share their concern. This place one can be listened, helped, guided to resolve or understand conflicts.
Last few weeks there was a reluctance among kids to be helpmates. Community together discussed – We all spoke. Tt was very easy to assume that kids were not interested but the expression and discussion made us realized that the ‘inconvenience’ of the was one of the reason. Another reason was ‘one concern leading to another and the whole issue becoming huge and unapproachable or solvable leading to frustration in helpmates.
Well the community came up with consent and pass the proposal
- Helpmates only once in a week for an hour
- Keep the scope clear
- Use various mediums like books, NVC, videos, writings and so on
- If anyone feels unfairness, change helpmates
Well, kids Sarkar, kids problems and their solutions – all together in community. We are learning to take our own conflicts in our own hands.
