"I wish I had someone that could give me a call to kick my butt into doing what I need to do!" Lack of motivation is one of the greatest dangers facing our kids these days. Is it more fun to play baseball or play baseball on Xbox 360? These days, it is important to be fit, confidence, and healthy. A man who lost his wife in the tragedy of 9-11 was interviewed and he was asked, "If this were to ever happen to again, what advice would you give America?" His wife didn't make it to the bottom of the World Trade Center that she was working in because of her fitness level. The man said, "You have to be as fit as you possibly can."
This summer is the test for parents in helping their children reach their goals. Something called "Narrow Mind Focus" will affect 70%-80% of our students this summer. N.M.F. goes like this: A student is swimming in a pool on a warm summer day. It's about 4pm and it's time to get ready for class, mom walks up to her son and says, "Tommy, it's time to get out of the pool and get ready for karate!" Tommy says, "I don't think I like karate anymore, I want to quit." Two weeks ago, Tommy told mom about how he wants to be a karate instructor when he grows up and he was so excited to earn his stripe and now he wants to quit? No. Tommy is testing mom and has Narrow Mind Focus! All he is thinking about is swimming in the pool and doesn't want to get out so he says what he thinks mom will react to.
The lack of motivation usually starts with mom letting Tommy quit karate. Then while Tommy is "searching for something else to try," he starts playing video games and is locked in to something that isn't as beneficial as martial arts training. It's important to remind Tommy about his goals and keep him committed to them! When you first enrolled Tommy into a program, he didn't understand the power of commitment - but you did! This is a commitment for Tommy to always try his best, the instructors to keep him excited IN class, and Mom and Dad to commit to bring him to class no matter what! Don't you wish you had someone [like you] that would kick your butt every time you wanted to quit something that you started out strong with? (Working out, quitting smoking, eating better, etc)
This summer, ATA is going to be THE PLACE TO BE! We are going to have an awesome ticket contest, referral contest, fun events, water gun and balloon battles, special competitions, and a bunch of other cool things, too! Of course, some cool movies are coming out and we're going to be doing special themed classes and movie nights where kids can win a NERF Gatling gun! They are going to love martial arts this summer, have a cool group of friends, and you will help to inspire them and teach them about the POWER of commitment!
Read this and apply it to FORCING Tommy out of the pool:
"Commitment in the face of conflict produces character." -Unknown (but not me, until now!)
Monday, April 16, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Why do kids bully? [Part 2]
Bullying will never stop! As there has always been bigger people trying to control smaller people, there will always be a struggle for control! Some experts agree that the cause of bullying is personal insecurities. It may happen like this: A Dad abuses his son and tells him he'll never amount to anything and he always messes up. He tells his son all of the bad things he does and never gives him praise for the good things. Feeling like a loser, the child goes into the world with a negative outlook on everyone. His only example in life teaches him how to interact with others, mostly negative. He inflicts his childhood negativity on other kids around him. To himself he says, "These kids are my age and just like me, if I won't amount to anything then neither will they!" So he torments smaller kids to take out the frustration given to him by his father! When the child bully grows up and has a son of his own, the cycle starts again...
That isn't always true. Many kids labeled as bullies say that picking on other people makes them feel good. If that is one's source of pleasure, I would have to say that that is pretty sad. Most people have "bullied" another person before and they might not have realized it! Little things that people say or the way people say certain things can effect people tremendously.
Let's look at some of the questions I posed in the last article: Why was the child bullied? There could be many reasons why but do your best to take care of those issues. Many things can breed bullying.
One that comes to mind is child obesity. Because someone is overweight, they could be delivered an onslaught of negative comments all day long at school. While many people say that they are "comfortable with their weight," that doesn't mean it's healthy. Good eating habits and proper exercise can help create a better life for people of all ages. Stronger bones, better mood, more energy, more powerful muscles, and less bullying could result in a change in body fat - for the healthier.
Other ways a child could be bullied is the way they look, how they dress, what type of things they like (like they play accordion instead of the guitar), or how they talk. People shouldn't be bullied for what they believe in! Before you let your child go out to school with those bright yellow pants and fake nerd glasses, you have to ask, "Does your child have a confidence level to be able to stand up for what they think is right?" How someone looks or the clothes they wear should be an expression of their personality and people should accept the way other people look, dress, and do (to an extent).
I believe that the current plan of dealing with bullies at school is very effective. On the other hand, it doesn't empower children to stand up for themselves and become stronger people - which will carry over into adulthood. That's why I have a passion for martial arts. We need to help children build more confidence to stand up for what they believe in, inspire them to eat right, and to have a lifestyle that is very active!
At ATA Elkton, we're hosting 13 different one-hour bully defense lessons over the next 6 months. Each one will empower every child that participates and will be a little different. Every class will be a community event and to attend, you'd donate $35 to St. Jude's Children's Hospital. In the next article, I'll elaborate on the different topics and we're going to help kids remove fear from their lives and accomplish their goals!
I'd like to leave you with this call to action: Teach your child to find the good in other people's actions instead of only calling out the negative. Be a good-finder. Get them to constantly acknowledge the things that their friends do good and other people will pay it forward. Dale Carnegie said, "Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime."
That isn't always true. Many kids labeled as bullies say that picking on other people makes them feel good. If that is one's source of pleasure, I would have to say that that is pretty sad. Most people have "bullied" another person before and they might not have realized it! Little things that people say or the way people say certain things can effect people tremendously.
Let's look at some of the questions I posed in the last article: Why was the child bullied? There could be many reasons why but do your best to take care of those issues. Many things can breed bullying.
One that comes to mind is child obesity. Because someone is overweight, they could be delivered an onslaught of negative comments all day long at school. While many people say that they are "comfortable with their weight," that doesn't mean it's healthy. Good eating habits and proper exercise can help create a better life for people of all ages. Stronger bones, better mood, more energy, more powerful muscles, and less bullying could result in a change in body fat - for the healthier.
Other ways a child could be bullied is the way they look, how they dress, what type of things they like (like they play accordion instead of the guitar), or how they talk. People shouldn't be bullied for what they believe in! Before you let your child go out to school with those bright yellow pants and fake nerd glasses, you have to ask, "Does your child have a confidence level to be able to stand up for what they think is right?" How someone looks or the clothes they wear should be an expression of their personality and people should accept the way other people look, dress, and do (to an extent).
I believe that the current plan of dealing with bullies at school is very effective. On the other hand, it doesn't empower children to stand up for themselves and become stronger people - which will carry over into adulthood. That's why I have a passion for martial arts. We need to help children build more confidence to stand up for what they believe in, inspire them to eat right, and to have a lifestyle that is very active!
At ATA Elkton, we're hosting 13 different one-hour bully defense lessons over the next 6 months. Each one will empower every child that participates and will be a little different. Every class will be a community event and to attend, you'd donate $35 to St. Jude's Children's Hospital. In the next article, I'll elaborate on the different topics and we're going to help kids remove fear from their lives and accomplish their goals!
I'd like to leave you with this call to action: Teach your child to find the good in other people's actions instead of only calling out the negative. Be a good-finder. Get them to constantly acknowledge the things that their friends do good and other people will pay it forward. Dale Carnegie said, "Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime."
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Why do kids bully? [Part 1]
One of the greatest dangers facing our kids these days is bullying. The statistics are outrageous! According to ABC News, 30 percent of kids in school are either bullies or get bullied. Over 160,000 kids stay home every day because of the fear of a bully. Policies and standards have been set all over the world for what to do when bullying happens. Even though the rules are strict, why does it continue to happen? In this article, the focus will be on bullying on a school-aged child level. First, let's discover what bullying actually is.
Bullying happens in a few different ways. A bully can torment by verbally abusing someone. This could be name calling or making fun of the other person. When I was in 8th grade, I remember that bullies would make fun of other kids because they were overweight, not as good at sports or games in gym class, because they didn't dress in expensive clothes, or sometimes they would torment another kid for no good reason. A bully can also physically assault someone. This could be hitting with fists, kicking, open hands, or anything that would result in injury. When I was in high school, I remember the seniors would walk around and "ball tap" the freshmen which was like a slap between the legs. While embarrassing and painful, the freshmen felt that they couldn't do anything about it because seniors are so much bigger. Another way that a bully acts is messing up another child's belongings. I remember in school, one common practice was a bully would run up behind another kid and flip their books out of their arms. All of their papers would go everywhere and the kid would be embarrassed and late to class. Any of these things can cause a lot of issues in a child's life and the situations negatively challenge them to continue to try hard at school. Some kids just want to give up.
Imagine two kids facing each other. One kid is bigger. You witness the bigger kid make fun of the smaller kid, what do you want to do? Now, the bigger kid shoves the smaller kid to the ground. What do you want to do about it now? Most people I've asked say, "I would shove the bully down!" Or they would say, "I would hit the bully - yank them up and teach them right from wrong!" That's what I used to think too. To solve the problem, you must punish the bully. Set rules and punish the "bad apples" so that the kids that aren't causing problems can learn. If there were no bullies, the world would be a better place, right? Wrong- that last statement will never happen. There will always be bullies and there will always be people that get bullied. Bully Beatdown will never solve the problem. What happens when that kid finally snaps on a bully that has been picking on them for the entire school year? The bully picks a new target, he doesn't STOP bullying!
The only way to stop bullying is to take action for the people YOU care about. Bullying will never stop but you can make a difference in who becomes the target! In the situation I described above, you have to ask, "Why was that other kid getting bullied?" Obviously, the bully CHOSE the target: 1) Was the target someone just because he was smaller?
2) Was the target someone who doesn't dress in the latest fashion?
3) Was the target dirty or did he smell bad?
Why was the smaller kid chosen as the target?
In order to ensure that your child will know what to do when a bully strikes, EMPOWER them! At ATA Elkton, we're hosting 13 different one-hour bully defense lessons over the next 6 months. Each one will empower every child that participates and will be a little different. Every class will be a community event and to attend, you'd donate $35 to St. Jude's Children's Hospital. In the next article, I'll elaborate on the different topics and we're going to help kids remove fear from their lives and accomplish their goals!
Bullying happens in a few different ways. A bully can torment by verbally abusing someone. This could be name calling or making fun of the other person. When I was in 8th grade, I remember that bullies would make fun of other kids because they were overweight, not as good at sports or games in gym class, because they didn't dress in expensive clothes, or sometimes they would torment another kid for no good reason. A bully can also physically assault someone. This could be hitting with fists, kicking, open hands, or anything that would result in injury. When I was in high school, I remember the seniors would walk around and "ball tap" the freshmen which was like a slap between the legs. While embarrassing and painful, the freshmen felt that they couldn't do anything about it because seniors are so much bigger. Another way that a bully acts is messing up another child's belongings. I remember in school, one common practice was a bully would run up behind another kid and flip their books out of their arms. All of their papers would go everywhere and the kid would be embarrassed and late to class. Any of these things can cause a lot of issues in a child's life and the situations negatively challenge them to continue to try hard at school. Some kids just want to give up.
Imagine two kids facing each other. One kid is bigger. You witness the bigger kid make fun of the smaller kid, what do you want to do? Now, the bigger kid shoves the smaller kid to the ground. What do you want to do about it now? Most people I've asked say, "I would shove the bully down!" Or they would say, "I would hit the bully - yank them up and teach them right from wrong!" That's what I used to think too. To solve the problem, you must punish the bully. Set rules and punish the "bad apples" so that the kids that aren't causing problems can learn. If there were no bullies, the world would be a better place, right? Wrong- that last statement will never happen. There will always be bullies and there will always be people that get bullied. Bully Beatdown will never solve the problem. What happens when that kid finally snaps on a bully that has been picking on them for the entire school year? The bully picks a new target, he doesn't STOP bullying!
The only way to stop bullying is to take action for the people YOU care about. Bullying will never stop but you can make a difference in who becomes the target! In the situation I described above, you have to ask, "Why was that other kid getting bullied?" Obviously, the bully CHOSE the target: 1) Was the target someone just because he was smaller?
2) Was the target someone who doesn't dress in the latest fashion?
3) Was the target dirty or did he smell bad?
Why was the smaller kid chosen as the target?
In order to ensure that your child will know what to do when a bully strikes, EMPOWER them! At ATA Elkton, we're hosting 13 different one-hour bully defense lessons over the next 6 months. Each one will empower every child that participates and will be a little different. Every class will be a community event and to attend, you'd donate $35 to St. Jude's Children's Hospital. In the next article, I'll elaborate on the different topics and we're going to help kids remove fear from their lives and accomplish their goals!
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