Kids life coaching workshops cultivate self-worth through fun, interactive activities

Through interactive games, activities and even slime, Lisa Lombardi teaches children how to advocate for themselves, boost their self-esteem and to be leaders.

The Geneva-based certified life coach will lead three different Kids Life Coaching workshops this winter: Self-Esteem & Leadership from 6-7 p.m. Jan. 20; Wacky Winter Wonderland with Frothy the Snowman from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Jan. 14; and Slimeology Lab Experience from 6-7 p.m. Feb. 5. Come March, there will be even more new programs with Lombardi.

Lombardi, who has been in the entrepreneurial coaching industry for more than 19 years, creates fun, high energy classes that help children tap into their gifts and cultivate their self-worth.

“Moms and dads shouldn’t be the only ones to fill their bucket. Whether they’re feeling down or being bullied, it’s really important for children to understand that they have the power to pull from within to feel good and to keep their buckets full,” Lombardi said.

Dramatizations to help children advocate for themselves and exercises for children to acknowledge their unique gifts are some of the hands-on activities Lombardi uses to help children boost their self-esteem.

“So often when I ask children to list what they’re good at, they often say things like ‘math, reading, soccer’ and I have to remind them that kindness is a gift; decorating a bedroom is a gift; writing thank you notes is a gift; the list can go on and on. Children should be able to write down not just 4-5 things, but many, many things they are proud of,” Lombardi said.

To get this message across she often uses a confetti balloon exercise where children write down their gifts on pieces of paper, stuff the paper in a balloon and take that balloon home as a reminder of their gifts.

Whether it’s through a dramatization or playing with slime, Youth Programs Supervisor Alex Weidner said Lombardi has a way of sneaking a life lesson into her class without the kids realizing it.

“It’s never just a slime lab experience; the children are always getting more out of the class than what they’ve signed up for,” Weidner said.

“Lisa’s workshops help kids take charge of their life, even when things are going sideways,” Weidner added.

The uncertainty of the pandemic has affected all children, and Lombardi addresses these feelings in her classes through interactive activities and props. During Slimeology Lab, for example, she’ll discuss the resiliency of the slime, while making the connection to being resilient during the current health crisis.

“Children have had to be resilient and to pivot in 2020,” Lombardi said. “But now it’s time to harness that pivoting, to breathe, to power on and reap the rewards.”

To sign up for Lisa Lombardi Kids Life Coaching Workshops visit www.stcparks.org/register.

Supplies for the classes will be picked up at Pottawatomie Community Center, 8 North Ave., at a designated time.