Onegaishimasu Parents,
Karate and school restart this upcoming week. So now its time to do what all Black Belts do, and it is so important for your child’s development. It is the critical success habit of STARTING STRONG!
Keiko Students, Black Belts, and leaders, start strong at everything they do. It is a “success habit” and the only way we know how to do things!
But hang on a second….Anyone can start strong, and here at Keiko Martial Arts we realize starting strong, like success, is just a habit. However, the type of success we are talking about isn’t something you only realize in the moment, it’s about developing the habits and attitudes that become your character, and translate into everything you and your child do. It’s about developing and discovering you and your child’s unlimited potential.
So here is your first assignment of the New Year to help both you and your children start 2021 strong!
Students…..These habits will make your success in life so easy. But you will need your parents help. Ask them to work with you on this but YOU BE the driving force behind this….Don’t expect them do it for you, because they cant!!
Parents…..We can develop these habits in your child but we know that YOU are a critical part of this. We have a major learning opportunity coming up this week. Just do these three simple, but critical things, and equally important, allow your children to be active in the process to help establish the habits and disciplines that set them up for success.
1. Prepare: It is always hard to restart anything. You may be out of your school/day routine. Just like trying to restart a diet or workout program you fell off of, or that first day back at work after a lengthy vacation. This is even worse or more amplified for our kids. So here is all you have to do:
a. Start talking about, and talking up both the Karate and the restart of school in an enthusiastic and positive way.
b. Get them back into a school sleep/wake routine. Start today!!!
c. Pre-plan everything. “You play like you practice” Do not leave anything for the last minute. Start your regimen first thing tomorrow morning. Our more astute parents may have already started?
2. Get Excited: This is one where you can only lead by example. Get your child excited for the restart but....the best way to do this is YOU!!! You need to get excited and give off the emotion and energy that you just cannot wait for Karate and school to start. Get so excited you cannot stop talking about it. Your child feeds off of your emotions and energy. You need to be ten times more excited than they are!
3. The initial start of Monday: The most critical hour of this whole process will be your initial start tomorrow morning. Do you know a family whose typical morning sounds like this: They try to get their kids up for school but it takes 15 minutes of yelling at them to get out of bed because they stayed up too late playing video games. Then once they finally get up, it takes forever for them to find their clothes and get dressed. Once they are dressed they don't like what Mom made for breakfast as she yells at them to hurry up and eat because they are going miss the bus or be late.
They complain about everything maybe even saying those dreaded words "I hate school!" Then they cannot find their jacket or the things they need for school.....Any wonder why the kids (and Mom) start the day in a cranky mood?
Most of the stress of a morning is caused by one thing…..being late. All highly successful people have one thing in common…They get up early, they have a strong morning routine, and they start their day energized and excited. That first couple of hours set up the whole day. So be up early and on time, envision the "perfect" morning then make it happen. Be intentional with your attitude of “this is going to be our best year ever”
Stay grateful: When you catch yourself thinking this is too hard or "why?", just remember you have one of the greatest gifts in the world and one of the greatest responsibilities in the world….Your child. Take a very deep breath and go into your heart and remember how lucky you are.
Go to gratitude, then look into your child's face, and do this: Remind yourself that greatest thing you can do as a parent is replace these frantic moments with moments where you just "emotionally connect" with your child because this is what every child needs most from you.
Be fully present with just a moment of emotional connection. Do this and your children will look forward to getting up, and will touch in you what is truly the most important thing you can give them as a parent.
Are you ready to make 2021 your BEST YEAR EVER!!
Respectfully
Sensei Chris and
Your Keiko TEAM
Keiko Karate – “Actually we do make Ninjas and Superheroes here………………we turn kids into Ninjas and we turn their parents into their superheroes!”