Don't Reinvent the Wheel

I think there are some benefits for being an adult student in her late thirties taking classes on adolescent development and working with parents, all part of a Family Studies and Human Services curriculum. Not only am I gaining new education I bring to the table experience. I've lived what I'm learning. I think this is exactly why some new graduates struggle particularly in this field. They come out of college all knowing and have some really great ideas...but they just aren't practical to the individuals trying to implement them. I think the same goes when a new case worker goes into a house and sees what is going on (on the surface) and wants to jump right in and start fixing things. It takes time and understanding. There are a lot of really smart people who have come before us who have accomplished some really big things by learning from the ones who went before them. Almost four years ago now I took over the leadership role of a food pantry at my home church. I had no idea what I was doing when I took over, but thankfully the person before me did. She had a relatively well oiled machine that just needed some minor adjustments. The volunteers taught me some of the most important lessons, such as "it's not our place to judge, we don't know their situation". Since I've learned the ebbs and flow of ordering when certain foods are available at the food bank, just like things go on sale at certain times of year at the grocery store. I've also learned the ebbs and flows of how many families we serve and why they choose our pantry over others in the area. There are so many resources available that when we graduate and get out on our own in our first job we won't have to feel like we are all alone. Someone somewhere has likely done what you are doing, if not they have done something similar. The key is giving grace and space. What works for one person won't always work for the next. Every person and every family is different. What can be implemented in a family will not work in a family of six kids, what works in a large city won't help someone out in the county. What is available for someone with a reliable car will not be accessible to someone without transportation. We have to be flexible and have patience and understanding but we do not have to start off with a blank slate thanks to all those who have recorded their successes and failures and the internet makes that all so much more easily accessed.