What are the psych's goals for the mentorship?
DD has struggled socially. The psych (turns out she has been a speaker at the SENG conferences!!)thinks a mentor would be a much better idea than a social skills group. So - goal = socializing in an older cousin-type situation. This person would share similar passions as DD. Your questions are helping me clarify in my mind what I am looking for - thank you!!! I don't have a specific time line.
Extensions of parental relationships: coworkers, friends of friends, neighbors, and extended family can provide mentorship, depending upon what you are looking for and the type of relationships you may already have with those you come in contact with.
A child with a strong interest in a particular area may attend community events, book signings, lectures/presentations, etc, and develop the ability to strike up a conversation with a known "expert" such as a book author, college/university professor, etc, who may be interested in mentoring. (This would typically apply to older children, but when the subject is a gifted child, I tend to set age aside.)
I have thought about the people we know, and I can't think of anyone! It's all politicians, mental health and math people in our circles. I need to start looking at art and journalism departments. I have been thinking of a college age girl. An "out of the box" thinker who loves "Mad Magazine" and has a sense of humor like DD.
In my observation and experience, children who do best with a mentor may be those who are positive, respectful, open to new ideas, forge healthy relationships, are flexible, and strongly internally motivated... who see bumps in the road as something routine, to be expected, and to learn from, therefore do not catastrophize or "fall to pieces", but take things in stride. In a word: undaunted.
Probably the only thing in this list that applies to DD is "internally motivated". I can understand the polite factor - but why "undaunted"?
