All three brothers started taking classes when they were 3 years old. Now here is Jack breaking his board for the highest belt you can achieve in the Tiger Tot program. On June the 10 he will join his two brothers at the highest level for the age group they are in. Connor is a Camo belt in the 7/8 class, Gavin will reach black belt for the 5/6 group on June 10th, and Jack who has reached his goal. All 3 of these students will be starting their new age group this summer. We are so proud to have them as students here at Balanced Life Skills.
I grew my hair long so that I could donate it to a charity that would make wigs for kids that had cancer or other illnesses that made them lose their hair. It all started several years ago when I saw a kid here at Balanced Life Skills Continue reading “Tyler M. supports Wigs for Kids”
Teaching our children that they can be a hero and help themselves and others in an emergency situation builds their knowledge and confidence. Fire Safety is one area of safety that every child should learn about.
What did you eat today? Did the hot weather encourage you to drink the promoted drinks or to go back to the basics of water? Did you see the latest report from the American Academy of Pediatrics about energy drinks, including drinks like Gatorade for our children. As a teacher I must not only set the example, but I must help our students take a deep look at what and how they eat. Even those of us who “eat good”, is what we are eating really good or just better than what others are doing? This is not a matter of comparisons. It is a matter of doing what is best for us and our children.
As a family, as a school, as a community, can we be on a mission to change – make a difference in our community? Starting with our own diet, we can all be resolved to learn about our food and our health. No excuses, we will be the teachers and parents that our children deserve.
Clement Stone, one of the greatest business people in the world, once said, “Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.” I found this quote interesting because when you ask a child, would you take a cookie if you were told not too, they would say NO! When asked why not the answer is almost always, “Because you will get in trouble.”
One of our favorite sayings in our classes that all of our students know is, “Do the right thing, because it is the right thing to do! Not because you will get in trouble” In fact we tell the students – “Do not worry about getting in trouble or not. The most important thing is do the right thing.”
While some will say that children know in their gut what is right and wrong and what are good choices and bad choices, I would disagree. As parents we have the responsibility to teach our children morals, values and ethics. When they see us practice those same things they begin to understand the meaning and importance of integrity. Our display of truth and honesty in our lives as adults, is how our children “learn to feel in their gut”, what it means to do the right thing.
This month we will talk about honesty, promises, being authentic to ourselves, and how integrity influences leadership and stress in our lives. Keep checking back in with us here, or visit our school and let your child take classes with us as we practice the martial arts and build character, confidence and contribution to the community.
As a parent we can be frustrated by the child who never wants to try anything new or is determined that they will not like it, whether it is a vegetable or an activity. Usually what has happened is they have a voice in their head telling them that they are going to fail, or they won’t be good at something, or someone is going to laugh at them. The first thing we must do as a parent is ask ourselves if this is the example that we are setting for our children? Do they see us reject things without trying or talking to ourselves or out loud in a way that is putting ourselves down. If we put ourselves down, or put others down as not being able to do something, our children will pick up on that and apply that to themselves.
