Working with Kids

While I was volunteering at the ranch this summer, I started thinking about something.
I am the oldest volunteer there. Most of the others are between 12 and 15 years old. And I generally get along with everyone, both kid and helper (it helps that they think I'm only about 17). But not all the helpers are as popular with the kids, or with each other.
For example, there was one kid there, who was 12 and a helper for the first time (he was the shortest, and I was worried that I'd get him mixed up with the kids). And he was one of the kids that others tend to pick on. It was just a little bit, but I could tell. I've gotten very good at spotting them. Because I seem to attract them a lot. Probably because I'm nice to them all the time (I have some friends in this category too XD ). I was like that for a bit , in elementary and middle school, so I feel the need to be nice to them since they might not get it from as many other people. And I know what it feels like. Anyway, this boy hung out around me a lot as the camp wore on.

But it got me thinking. Kids like me. And the helpers like me too. So I started wondering why that was for me and not as much for others.
And I thought of three big reasons.

When kids are talking, do your best to listen to them. And since a lot of them try to talk at the same time, it can be impossible to hear all of them. Some kids will get drowned out more than others. So they will kind of drift off and be quiet, and feel ignored. So, if that happens, ask them to repeat themselves. Be interested in what they have to say, and respond with enthusiasm.
Don't be superior to the kids. Yeah, you may need to give them instructions, or correct them if they do something wrong. You may even need to scold them. But that does not mean that you act like you are superior to them. Treat them as a friend, not as someone who's smaller than you and doesn't know as much. They probably get that enough from most other people... Kids can be really sharp.
And third, the most important reason. Like everyone. Some people might prefer to pretend to like everyone. Which I suppose is better than openly not liking them. But then you have to pretend, and it's not really honest. So it's better to just like everyone. Admittedly, some kids can be trouble. But even so, there's usually something that you can find to appreciate about them. Or something that you can get them interested in. (For example, I brought a sketchbook, and drew Pokémon during free time. A bunch of the kids crowded around to watch, and some of these were the rowdy boys that might otherwise be mischief-making. Instead they started gaming conversations and watched me draw. I've noticed that kids really like watching me draw. I may not be great, but at least I'm good. And they think I'm a master, so it's funny and cute). I have yet to find a kid with no interesting qualities. But it's those kids that really need the most positive attention. Because if they are trouble, then it must have a source.