Onegaishimasu Parents and students,

Last week you may recall I wrote about the importance of continuing learning and development in our children over the summer, and wanted to follow up on that with you……

Believe it or not the end of school, and the beginning of summer is right around the corner.

We often talk about giving your child that competitive edge over their contemporaries, and building critical success habits. This summer, while other children are sitting on the couch playing video games and stuffing candy, chips and junk food in the mouths all day, Keiko students are building powerful success habits, of structure routine and consistency, self discipline, and continuous learning.

We intentionally put a lot into summer at Keiko Martial Arts for three main reasons: 1. To keep as much structure and discipline as possible in your child’s life so they do not lose good habits.

2. Keeping them learning over the summer so they develop the concept, but more importantly, the habit of “continuous learning” and the character trait of being a “life-long learner”

3. To get them ready for school so they have their ‘best year ever’ come September.

You may recall last week I also spoke of our much anticipated Summer reading program. We know our parents really appreciate this program, and so do the students! If you want to know a simple key to a child’s success...... reading. READERS are LEADERS!! Kids that struggle at reading will probably struggle at school. If they struggle at school they will grow to not like school. The element of this program that parents like the most is we are the ‘bad guys’. You don’t have to tell them to read WE WILL!

1. Structure and Discipline: Believe it or not kids actually do want, and thrive on structure and discipline. This stability and certainty helps them feel safe, confident and successful. And again, what is the difference between a disciplined and an undisciplined person? POWERFUL HABITS. Habits are only developed with consistent, intentional repetition. This is especially true in a child’s early years of life, but, for most kids guess where most of the structure and disciplined actions and habits revolve around? SCHOOL. Now what happens when school disappears? The habits disappear. Parents are often surprised when they learn that there is no difference at our dojo between the school year and summer.

Definitely have fun and travel over the summer but when you are home keep their lives as structured as possible. Wake up and go to bed at the same time. Have regular meal time, reading, chores and family time.

2. Learning: This is one I am big on for one huge reason. All highly successful people know learning is a continuous process. It never ends! As a matter of fact, the highly successful learn far more after their high school or college days are over. We inadvertently do something I do not think most parents realize......We teach our kids that learning is something you turn on and off! Bad habit!

Tell me if this sounds familiar: Here is how it typically works. Your child is surprised into the learning mode on an expected September morning when they are suddenly jarred awake by mom or dad nagging them to wake up, and get ready for school!

In June we flip the learning switch off………..then wonder why our children stop learning when they graduate or leave school?

3. Best Year Ever: Yes, it is almost June but we already know that if you want your child to have their best school year ever come September, the time to ready them is during the summer. Actually a common mistake parents make is to wait until the week before school starts to prep their children. Hey we used to do this too…..Like most parents we used to wait until the week before school starts to reestablish structure, and routine for our son, but quickly discovered this wasn’t optimal for his success., and like most other students it took a good month or two before he was “in the groove” again. That is two months lost to catch up instead of moving forward and getting ahead!

To make a long story short we methodically start preparing your child for the next school year in JUNE! We start our Summer reading program, in June and we talk up school and why it is important. “School is important to us!” You can reinforce this higher standard by having discussions with you child on “your” family’s values, expectations and standards concerning education. Just start with this phrase “In our family we love school”

Are you ready to make this year your child's best year ever?

Have an amazing week!

Sensei

Keiko Karate – “Actually we do make Ninjas and Superheroes here……………we turn kids into Ninjas and we turn their parents into their superheroes!”