Regressive Pull means simply losing sight of yourself as the leader and placing more importance on being "one of the gang". Here's an excerpt from a camp blog that explains it well:
"... Regressive pull, is when adults, after spending a lot of time with children begin to look and act just like the kids. That is, they become more impulsive, more easily excited, more sarcastic in their verbal interactions, or more easily ruled by their feelings. In other words, adults can become overstimulated, too! Once a counselor has regressed, there is a loss of perspective and sense of consequences that may result in unsound judgment calls."
A great example of this is a small group leader talking or being disruptive when large group is going on. I can tell you that there is nothing more annoying to a teacher than an adult making things more difficult. Something inside just wants to stop everything and grab that person by the throat and scream, "You're on MY side here! HELP ME! Its hard enough to keep their attention as it is! Yeesh!"
Another example is the group of adults gathered in the back of the room while the kids sit on the floor. The adults would rather be with their peers than with the kids.
The closer the leader is to the age of the kids, the greater chance of Regressive Pull. So... yes... that means teens are at a greater risk. But don't rule out those that are young at heart!!
When you see this behavior, you better handle it asap.
MINISTRY LEADERS:
Try this: "Hey [leader], I can see how important it is for you to really bond with the kids on their level and that's awesome. Just remember that they are looking to you to set the example of behavior so remember to keep the balance between being a friend and a leader ok?
Have you had any experiences with this? Let me know!
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