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How Parental Involvement Increases Child Success

Uncategorized Feb 06, 2023

Parents are an essential element to their child’s success in anything. The enthusiasm and support, or lack thereof, of a parent can make or break a child’s accomplishments. In SKILLZ martial arts, it is even more essential that parents be involved as part of the teaching team since the SKILLZ system applies child development and psychology. This approach can create extreme success for a child when their parents appreciate the program and are involved in the process.

 

Parents that enroll their children in martial arts want to see them succeed but most don’t know what is needed from them to make this happen. Often, children who are in martial arts do not have parents that are martial artists themselves. Parents usually know what the benefits of martial arts are but don’t understand the process of making these benefits a reality. Since the goal of the SKILLZ program is to help children grow to be the best version of themselves, much emphasis is placed on...

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Keeping it Real - Addressing Mental Fatigue

Uncategorized Oct 13, 2022

“Mom, this doesn’t make any sense!”

 

Frustrated with his dividing fractions math assignment, my son dramatically dropped his head into his hands. Mulling over the best way to show the work that was in his beautiful mind on paper, I slowly moved into his space. Taking his right hand, I began to massage his palm and fingers one by one to aid in coming back to breath, body and center.

 

With a deep breath in of all that is good, strong and capable followed by the exhale of all that wasn’t serving him in the moment, my son picking up his pencil began to reassess the problem before him. Though it was a challenge and took some intentional effort in working through together, we eventually found the solution and resolution to the math problem and frustration of the moment.

 

Each and every day our children are faced with new intellectual challenges and expansions of the mind as they step into the world around them with eyes wide open to its many...

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Supporting kids physical development in the face of challenges

Uncategorized Sep 17, 2022

Have you ever had a teacher, coach or mentor that inspired you to the very core? One that cheered you on to achieving your big dreams and goals with the biggest heart, joy and fire?

 

Each and every day, our team of Pediatric Ninja Specialists, Instructors and Coaches serve our community knowing full well that our purpose is to support, guide and nurture today’s youth in living their best lives!

 

Proud Ninja Parent, we know you want the absolute best for your child and that you too are cheering them on every step of the way towards achieving sure victory. But what happens when your child encounters a challenge, a mountain in the face of their progress? How can parents be allies to their kiddos when you find them wrestling with doubt in their ability to finish strong?

 

Step #1: Time for a gut check!

 

When our children face physical challenges that lead to a question of their ability to keep going, striving towards their next goal and earning the win they...

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School Readiness – What Teachers Really Look For

Uncategorized Sep 01, 2022

When we hear the term “school readiness,” the first thing most people think of is children knowing academic basics that will help them meet the demands of the classroom. And while these cognitive skills are important, teachers feel that skills in the other areas of child development are just as, or more important. Social, emotional, and physical skills are also essential to the success of a child in school. Preparing children this way helps them enter a classroom feeling secure.

 

Teachers are important in helping develop the whole child, although, their main goal is to teach cognitive skills that will lead to academic success. For that to happen, however, children must possess other development skills in the areas of social, emotional, and physical development. Amy Graham from Charles Darwin University conducted a study and found that 45% of the teachers she interviewed were more concerned with a child’s confidence, independence, and self-regulation skills...

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Punishment vs. Discipline

Uncategorized May 13, 2022

 

Good behavior is a learning process for children, and we are their roadmap. Children usually behave per their own emotions and impulses. At the same time, being a parent is also a learning process and sometimes we rely on our own emotions and impulses to teach. Usually, that means we divert directly to punishments when a child misbehaves, missing a crucial opportunity to teach them. With that said, I am going to break down how to teach good behavior through discipline vs. punishment. 

 

Let’s compare the two words and what they really mean:

  •  Punishment – means to inflict pain or suffering as a penalty. 
  •  Discipline – means to teach. 

 

It’s understandable that we as parents can get very frustrated when a child misbehaves, specifically when they make the same poor behavior choices over and over. At the same time, if we have clear goals to teach good behavior skills, then we can respond better. The better we respond,...

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Quiet Parenting - Stopping the Cycle of Yelling

Uncategorized May 04, 2022

Parenting can be one of the most rewarding responsibilities we ever take on. With that, however, comes the ups and downs of getting children to comply with what we say while being pulled in a thousand different directions. It’s no wonder why parents often resort to yelling when begging and threats are no longer effective. And while yelling is generally the result of needing things done urgently or when the parent feels disrespected, it is unproductive. This approach scares children and makes the parent feel guilty. To more effectively get children to comply, parents should first know their triggers and then plan to parent more calmly.

 

It’s often difficult for parents to stop and think about the long-term damage yelling may be causing in the heat of the moment. Not only does it model an ineffective conflict resolution strategy to the child, but it also makes everyone feel bad and rarely reduces the behavior. Because children have sensitive nervous systems, yelling...

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Leading by Example - The Power of Self-Care in Parenting

Uncategorized Apr 28, 2022

 

Parents have always served as the first, and typically, the most important role model for their children, even though family members, teachers, and coaches have a significant impact on a child’s development as well. However, in the wake of the pandemic, these people have had less of a presence in children’s lives which ultimately left parents without the additional support they typically depend on. Combined with the stressors that have come with the pandemic, parental self-care has taken a back burner and bad habits are being observed and learned by children.

 

The goal of parenting is to raise happy and healthy individuals with strong moral and ethical views and behaviors. For this reason, parents often establish rules for their children to follow, limit exposure to too much media, and work to instill life skills that provide children the tools to be the best version of themselves. But often in times of unrest, parents have difficulty modeling what they...

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Setting Effective Learning Goals In The New Year

Uncategorized Jan 25, 2022

I was dashing through the first big snowfall of the season with my oldest son on holiday and a great story came across the radio waves. A mom herself, the radio host began to tell the story of the orange tree. Unlike some other fruit bearing plants, the orange tree sees the greatest success when it is planted and nurtured in a nursery for the first three years of its life. That’s right! Three years of careful watch, watering, tending to and care before the young tree can even be planted outside!

 

But it does not stop there, oh no! The tree continues to grow and mature in the great outdoors before reaching its peak at 12-15 years old. At that time, it bears its delicious orange fruit that is ready for us all to enjoy. Isn’t that amazing! Whether a lone farmer or team working together, the care and dedication it takes for those tending to the fragile orange trees, to nurture them to their full maturation is truly a labor of love.

 

As we all watch our own...

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Health & Wellness Goal Setting for 2022

Uncategorized Jan 01, 2022

“Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock! Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring! Snowin' and blowin' up bushels of fun, now the jingle hop has begun!” ~ Jingle Bell Rock, by Bobby Helms. (Shihan's favorite Christmas song!)

Many of our SKILLZ Strong Ninjas and Proud Ninja Parents are breaking out into their best “Jingle Bell Rock” as the promise of a Ninja-tastic New Year knocks at the door! As 2021 has come to a close, the dawn of the New Year comes with fresh inspiration, motivation and high hopes for conquering great things in 2022!

Whether your goals for the New Year are physical, intellectual, emotional and/or social, there is truly something special and exciting about the blank canvas of the next 365 days before us, all about to be filled in with the colorful, precious moments of living and loving to the fullest!

As we consider how our fresh canvas will look in the New Year, there is no denying the importance and power of caring for the mind, body...

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The Secret to Developing Well-Rounded Athletes

Uncategorized Nov 11, 2021

Over the last year, sports programs have had shortened seasons, if any at all. Because of that, training time for athletes of all ages has dropped significantly. Now, with sports returning to a more normal duration, young athletes are working hard to regain lost skills and recondition their bodies. The problem, however, is that lengthy breaks increase the risk of injury upon returning to training. In addition, when athletes specialize in a sport, they generally only train muscles for that sport. To be truly at the top of their game, young athletes should engage in training that develops all muscle groups through a system designed to meet their athletic and developmental needs.

 

When athletes are on an extended break from their sport, their body deconditions, and they lose cardiovascular power, muscle strength, speed and agility, and other skills. As we generally see, after a “normal” break, athletes go back into training at a high level which usually increases...

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