A New Chapter for Our Teenagers

Over the past year, many of our children have entered their teenage years. That shift has been both exciting and challenging. The needs of a thirteen-year-old are different from those of a six-year-old. Energy levels change. Questions deepen. Identity becomes central.

We recognised that our care structure needed to grow with them.

Recognising the Season of Adolescence

With most of our children now in their teenage years, this stage of life is centred around identity, purpose, and connection. Our social worker began meeting regularly with the teenagers in focused sessions, creating space to talk about who they are, what they hope for, and how to build healthy relationships.

These conversations were honest. Teenagers spoke about their goals. Some talked about sport. Others about work. Some wrestled with confidence. All of them needed guidance rooted in both structure and belief.

At the same time, daily life was becoming more active. During school holidays, our older boys trained five evenings a week with the local football team. Eventually, several of them proudly made their debut in a cross-village tournament. The whole community came alive during home matches, with house mothers and younger children cheering from the sidelines.

It became clear that our teenagers were ready for greater responsibility.

Introducing Communal Living

In response, we introduced a new communal living model for our teenage boys and a reshaped house rhythm for our teenage girls. The structure was intentionally built around social pedagogy and personal development.

For the boys, communal living meant shared responsibility. They manage aspects of their daily routines together. They contribute to meal preparation, cleaning, and maintaining their space. They participate in decisions about schedules and responsibilities.

For the girls, the new rhythm placed greater emphasis on structured routine, shared tasks, and spiritual development within their home. Teenagers are now active participants in the running of their living environment. They are learning to cooperate, negotiate, and take ownership.

Contribution Builds Confidence

Each morning, our teenagers now take part in structured skill-building activities. Some work in the gardens, preparing plots and growing vegetables. Others contribute to maintenance or support food production.

Since implementing this structure, food production on site has doubled. That practical outcome reflects something deeper. When young people contribute meaningfully, motivation increases.

We have watched teenagers who once needed constant prompting begin to take initiative. We have seen greater consistency in routines. Shared responsibilities have strengthened accountability between peers.

One small but significant example was the introduction of birthday celebrations within each house. When a teenager recently turned seventeen, his house prepared a cake and gathered together to celebrate him. That moment reflected belonging, responsibility, and shared joy within the home he helps maintain.

Faith and Formation

Faith remains central in this new season.

Our daily rhythm continues to include prayer and reflection. Teenagers are encouraged to explore identity not only in terms of career or ambition, but in terms of character and purpose. We believe that understanding who they are in Christ provides stability during a stage often marked by uncertainty.

This is not about preaching at young people. It is about walking alongside them. We speak honestly about responsibility, choices, and consequences. We also speak about hope, forgiveness, and growth.

Adolescence is a formative time. Patterns set here often shape adulthood. Our aim is to create an environment where teenagers practise independence within safe boundaries.

Preparing for Life Beyond One Day

Residential care must prepare young people for the future.

Through communal living, teenagers practise budgeting, time management, cooperation, and conflict resolution. Participation in sport builds discipline and teamwork. Garden work builds consistency and patience. Structured discussion builds emotional literacy.

We have already seen positive responses. Motivation has increased. Engagement in community life has strengthened. Relationships within the teenage houses reflect greater maturity and shared ownership.

This new chapter deepens guidance. Caregivers remain present, but the dynamic shifts towards partnership rather than dependency.

Our prayer is that when our young people leave One Day, they leave with more than education. We want them to leave with practical life skills, resilience, faith, and confidence.

Adolescence is not something to manage. It is something to shape carefully and intentionally.

At One Day, we are committed to doing that work with patience, structure, and hope.