How to Keep Your Children Engaged- Part II

Part II- Engage Everyone

Be Involved

As with anything, you won’t see or reap any benefits unless you’re involved. And I don’t mean just your children, you the parent too. Children with parents who are actively involved, who watch classes, encourage their kids and ask questions, those are the students who thrive and who have the ability to work through the hard times. Why? Because they are not alone, they have parents who work equally as hard with and for them because they too see and reap the benefits. 

What Can You Do For Your Child?

Be interested. Children need encouragement and acceptance. If mom or dad seem indifferent to their activities or accomplishments then they learn that there is no value to what they are doing or achieving. This will only decrease their confidence in themselves, not build it up.

Approach their classes with a positive attitude. If classes become a chore or a job then the fun is gone and the resistance will start. Your children need to recognize that Kung Fu is important, but they need to be able to enjoy it.

Set them up for success. Get them to class on time. Help them be responsible for their uniform and gear.  Make sure their environment is congruent to their goals; focus is a key to Kung Fu and to life. Noise and distractions will not allow them to get everything they can out of a given lesson.

Join in! Our kids mimic and learn from us. Participate as a family in our events, or join classes yourself. If they see us having fun they’ll be more inclined to enjoy themselves. A family activity will outlast an individual activity because everyone has a part to play and understands the value. The time spent will be time invested. And you yourself will develop understanding and skills, giving you the ability to help your child and maybe picking up a thing or two to benefit yourself. Our most successful students are most often from a family that is heavily involved.

A Little Goes A Long Way

Any student at Silent River Kung Fu has heard the term incremental progression. Tiny steps, with time, create great change. What you do with your children, no matter how insignificant it seems at the time, has the potential of creating life changing ripples, influencing their perspectives, values and choices. Be sure to create habits and routines with your child that supports your ultimate goal; raising a happy, healthy, self sufficient and confident individual.

So get involved. If you do, you will see and understand the value. If you understand the value, it’s easy to be committed and this will filter down to your child. In other words, half the work is done. 

Character Development in the Martial Arts

Kung Fu is about more than kicking or punching. Teaching empathy, respect and self discipline is key when it comes helping students develop into well rounded martial artists. These are the lessons that we strive to instil into all aspects of their lives, developing their character and ability to achieve their goals.

I would like to share an excerpt (with permission from his mom) from an email from a teacher of a Young Dragon. Joel has received a chih star on behalf of his teacher, his mother and his instructors, all of whom are proud of the kid he’s developing into.

“Joel is a crucial part to our classroom community. He is always willing to help in the classroom, especially with cleaning up and stacking chairs. His eagerness to assist his peers and his attention to keeping our classroom tidy is greatly appreciated.”

His mother let us know that Joel is the only child that stays at the school’s afterschool care program, and once the other kids leave for the day, he stays and helps his teacher cleanup.

It is not about the tasks a child completes, but about the spirit in which a child engages.

Information on our Chih Star program can be found here- https://www.silentriverkungfu.ca/childrens-badge-award-system