Respect for people and things

Respect comes in a wide variety of forms. For example, children must be taught to be behave with respect for the possessions of other children. They must be taught a healthy respect for their elders and authorities. As a family, it is of paramount importance to develop a culture of mutual respect within the home itself. There are a number of great strategies that parents use at home for this purpose.

Perhaps the most effective way parents teach their children to behave respectfully is by being respectful themselves. Children typically mimic their parents’ behavior – good or bad, so being a role model and showing integrity, courtesy, and respect in their company are very powerful lessons. Whether it is simply being polite to strangers or being thoughtful and considerate of friends and family, with proper and consistent role models, most children gradually learn to deal with the people and environment around them in healthy, productive, and amicable ways.

Reinforcing respect

When a child displays respect, it is important for parents to acknowledge and commend him or her. Receiving praise and feeling gratified for performing a task correctly or behaving in the appropriate manner helps children of all ages develop self-esteem and self-respect, benefits they will seek to earn over and over. Highlighting appropriate behavior and good manners helps children internalize them. In some cases, a display of respect may even warrant a reward in some material form.

In some cases, it may be required to reprimand a child for inappropriate behavior. Choosing when to punish and when not to is extremely important for parents. Parents must understand that different children learn in different ways, and this may take time as well. Understanding how a child thinks and behaves is the first step toward choosing the specific ways and means of developing this fundamental and vital character trait.


Living in the moment

Young children live very much in the present and do not set goals like experienced adults. Teaching children from an early age the importance of setting a goal (which requires work and patience to achieve) is a fundamental lesson for understanding and attaining self-control. We cannot always get what we want immediately, and in many cases, it may take more time and effort than planned.

A common mistake that many parents make is in praising and gratifying their children too much. When this takes place, children can become complacent, realizing that whatever they do, they will get exactly what they want. Alternatively, parents must try to acknowledge the effort that children are making towards achieving a particular goal, and encourage them to continue displaying self-control in their pursuits.

Balancing incentives and deterrents

In some cases, it may be required to discipline a child when they behave badly. Children under the age of three find it particularly frustrating if they aren’t allowed to do the things they want when they want, whether it’s playing with toys or playing in the mud. Likewise, pre-schooler “temper tantrums” also occur sometimes when instructed to do something they don’t want to do, or when they don’t want to do it. As a parent, it is important to set clear, consistent expectations (rules) for children, to offer choices, and to explain consequences. If a child fails to observe parental rules, it might be necessary to discipline him or her in a productive, non-violent way such as forcing him or her into a ‘timeout’ or denying him or her a certain pleasure for a while.

At the same time, it is often valuable to talk with children about self-control and its importance. Discussing self-control (and its opposite) can often help children appreciate the concept much better and pay closer attention to their actions. As such, congratulating a child when he or she has achieved something through self-control is also vitally important in the developmental process. Enrolling your child in structured self-improvement activities like karate definitely
helps develop self-control in participants. Professional instructors are trained in many methods for keeping the attention of individuals in class, maintaining discipline, and reinforcing positive behaviors, which translates into better self-control exhibited at home, school, and elsewhere by the children who train.

Developing the ability to concentrate on particular tasks is absolutely critical for success in today’s over-stimulated, distracting environments, and those who do so at an early age have a leg up on their peers. By the time a child begins schooling, he or she needs to have developed cognitive ability that will allow him or her to perform tasks that may take a prolonged period of time. Consequently, developing focus and concentration at the pre-school level is very important. Here are some practical tips for parents to help their child or children develop concentration.

Creating a Plan

One of the best ways that a parent can go about measuring a child’s concentration levels is by creating a plan and a schedule. Over time, they should monitor their children and record whether and how much progress is being made. Once a plan has been created, parents should present logic or “thinking” tasks such as age-appropriate puzzles to their children, and encourage them to work on them for as long as possible.

Step By Step Approach

Initially, it is “normal” for a child may to have the ability to focus on a particular challenge for just a few minutes before giving up. However, parents should encourage their children to build their concentration, by ensuring that they stick to a task a little bit longer than they did in the past. This must be done in small steps to ensure that the child does not become exhausted or excessively frustrated. As time goes by, a child will naturally build concentration spans that hold them in good stead as they study further. It is also a good idea to get your toddler enrolled for karate classes. This will help in improving your child’s concentration power a great deal.

Rewards

It is also extremely important for children to feel rewarded for the work they have put into developing their mental faculties. Sincere and specific praise is a good example. At the next stage, parents might challenge their children to complete a puzzle, game, or task in a certain number of days while offering a greater incentive, such as the promise of a desirable toy or an
extra hour of television. Rewarding the child is entirely up to the parents as long as the reward is real and ultimately fulfilled when the challenge is complete.

Steps to make your child feel secure and confident

• The most basic step is to appreciate and praise your child when he or she does something good or completes a given task. Giving him or her the required attention can boost his or her sense of security and self-confidence.
• Listening is an art form in which most of us fail miserably! But you can’t afford to fail at it when it comes to children. When you listen to your children you’re basically opening the doorway to fruitful communication and trust with them. It not only shows that you care but also provides you with an opportunity to explain things to them.
• Correct yourself in front of your children when you make a mistake. This will provide
  them with a positive frame of reference that teaches them to learn from their failures, correct mistakes, and make amends for their wrongdoings.
• Build a bond with your child. Share and engage in activities with them. This will help your child trust you and feel secure around you knowing that you’re always there for them.
• Express your love physically. As they are too young to understand complex human emotions, children rely on physical touch to express their love and affection. So hugging, kissing, and high-fiving your child is a good way to reciprocate their affection.

Karate builds security and confidence

You might ask how karate can help your child feel secure and confident. Karate is an art form founded on the values of discipline, hard work, motivation, and goal-setting. Learning karate allows your children to develop a sense of accomplishment through goal-setting, achievement, reward, and growth of knowledge, ability, and self-reliance. Your child will learn to compete in a positive environment with other children, which will not only boost
his or her confidence but also teach him or her to handle defeat constructively and with good sportsmanship. With intense training and hard work, karate will instill in them a sense of confidence and security that will last a long, healthy, and successful lifetime.

No need to be over-worried

The first thing to understand about the condition is that your child may not truly have it at all. Parents are often so worried about the way their children are developing that they often look to these conditions as possible reasons for skewed development. However, it is important to understand that children, more often than not, are naturally impulsive, curious, and restless. In some cases though, the condition can be quite pronounced. Another thing to remember is that the condition is treatable and certainly not permanent, as long as the right course of action is taken at an early stage.

Children who suffer from ADD/ADHD experience a range of symptoms and feelings that can be quite disconcerting for them. In many cases, a child can experience a feeling of disillusionment and disconnectedness with the environment around them. Simply reprimanding a child with ADD constantly is not the solution. A better course of action may be in empowering the child and building self-esteem and focus in a number of ways. Karate for kids classes are an exceptional environment for children of all abilities and conditions.

Do not rush to the doctor

A mistake that many parents of children who have ADD/ADHD often make is to rush to the doctor to have medication prescribed. However, in most cases, medication should be viewed as a last resort. Parents should take some time out to develop learning strategies that help their children cope with the pressures around them, whether this is at school or at home. When children begin to internalize these learning techniques, they will naturally build their cognitive function over time to appropriate levels. If parents are unsure of how to deal with problem, it is highly recommended to visit a psychologist to better inform and prepare themselves and find supportive resources.

School vs. play

Children of the youngest of ages do not have the pressures of going to school, and often learn through play itself. However, as they grow older, school work and other responsibilities limit the amount of time they have to spend outside playing games or performing any kind of physical activity. While academics are certainly important, a parent should strive to find a balance between work and physical activity for their children.

During a child’s first few years, his or her muscles and bones are still in development. For children to become strong and healthy, it is important for them to engage in diverse physical activities on a regular basis. Apart from strengthening their bodies, physical activity also helps children sleep better at night. Moreover, exercise releases important chemicals in the brain and body that foster a positive outlook and attitude. Finally, frequent exercise also limits the chances of serious medical conditions like diabetes or obesity from developing, which occurs today in Americans of all ages at an alarming rate.

Teaching the whole person

Apart from actually keeping the body fit, exercise does a number of extraordinary things to the mind as well. Physical activities like sports provide a relief or an stress outlet from the day to day school routine that most children have nowadays. It’s something to look forward to, a short time where they can be focus on something more enjoyable than their problems! Moreover, just the act of playing and working with a group of friends helps social skills as well. It goes without saying that a child who is physically active is more energized, and prepared to take on each and every day. If your children are interested, you can usually find a great introductory offer or free trial at most martial arts training facilities. Such classes help children in becoming independent, while also keeping them healthy and fit body, mind, and spirit.

1. immediate, fateful circumstance (as in rising to a unique occasion)
2. decades of hard-won experience, or
3. dedicated, deliberate, and enjoyable training in a qualified program

The importance of confidence

One of the most important traits of an effective leader is self-confidence. It is certainly true that some children are more confident in their thoughts and actions than others. Confidence is important because precisely because the perception of one’s self is contagious! If one individual is able to display confidence in a thought or idea among a group of people, it sets the premise for relationships based on trust to be developed. However, it is also important to remember that confidence is not the only trait that a leader requires. In some cases, over-confidence or blind confidence can hold a leader back. Enrolling your child for karate classes at a young age is a good way to make them confident and self-reliant.

Do as I do, not as I say

Another factor to remember is that leaders typically don’t begin as “leaders” who give out instructions and command people to perform tasks and actions. The best leaders first experiences performing these actions himself or herself – as a follower – so that he or she can understand the effort and skill required. In doing so, a leader will increase his or her effectiveness in communicating and empathizing with team members under him and getting best results.

Another key trait that all leaders need is decision-making ability. This seems oddly difficult for many adults and most children! A leader must be able to view a situation and analyze it completely before developing a plan to tackle it, without falling prey to “paralysis of analysis.” Decisiveness is perhaps the most important trait of a leader, as it will determine whether a team is successful or not. Confidence in following through with a plan is important, but a calm, informed mind to make sound decisions is absolutely imperative for ultimate success and ROI.

Developing these traits is no easy job. Children can often feel uncomfortable or frightened when placed in leadership positions initially. However, many karate for kids programs make the training appealing to each age groups – playful for some, strictly disciplined for others – so that the leadership lessons are absorbed and experienced in several ways. In time, leadership practice feels more natural and fun, something to look forward to! As a parent, it is extremely important to encourage and motivate a child who takes on the added responsibility of being a leader, even if he or she may not succeed at first. Your karate instructors will be glad to help you and your child address training goals and needs too. Anyone can be a leader with dedication and practice at a qualified instructional facility with caring, capable teachers.