The properly run martial arts studio has been proven beneficial for both children and adults over and over again. However, when a child as young as a Little Lion first walks into a studio, he or she can be somewhat resistant to try the new activity (as with any other new activity). As excited as each new student may be to go to “martial arts”, the experience can at first, be intimidating. Sudden fear can arise from “fear of the unknown” or from a shyness of being in front of others. It is important to remember that all things take time to get used to.
For example, a child’s first day at a new daycare can be overwhelming for a child who is so young. However, it is often not possible (due to career obligations, etc.) for the child not to attend. Any good daycare facility will work diligently with each child until he or she not only feels comfortable, but looks forward to visiting the daycare facility each time. At a martial arts studio, the same process applies. Sometimes it takes several visits before a young child feels comfortable enough to participate and have fun without fear or hesitation. At ATC, a child’s emotional comfort, motivation and self-esteem are one of our top priorities. Only a child who is comfortable within given surroundings can fully benefit from all of the advantages of the given environment. Parent/ Instructor communication is often pivotal in the process of familiarization with a new activity. At ATC, all of our staff are trained to handle any emotional issues that may initially arise at the beginning of a child’s martial art’s education.
In order to teach children the importance of perseverance and of trying new things, parents need to be consistent and firm while showing love and support. Once the initial fear has subsided, a child will understand that participation is fun and will begin to benefit from the martial art. Parents’ anxieties over a child’s stress will dissipate and be replaced by a sense of pride regarding the child’s performance and accomplishments.
Once in the program, Little Lions learn the necessary manners and confidence to function in situations both in and outside the studio, including at school and within relationships with peers. In addition, Little Lions are better ready to advance to higher programs (for juniors, teens and eventually, adults) when they are able to begin their training in the early childhood years. By the time a child turns 6 ½ or 7 years old, they are not only ready for the Junior Program, but are often advanced for their age physically, emotionally and intellectually (due to the additional ability to focus learned in the martial art classroom).
Parent Section 2:
Children in today’s society face many problems on a daily basis. The social structure of the family and society in general are not nearly as supportive as they have been in the past. Children are consistently faced with new and difficult decisions to make and are often at a loss on how to deal with them.
The choices our children make can frequently change the course of growth from that of a positive experience to that of a negative one. Our children are too easily led astray by negative and sometimes harmful influences in the form of peers or influential adults.
As a result, it is extremely important to open a constructive dialogue with our children at a young age, on how to deal with situations which may arise. Learning to make good choices on a day-to-day level at an early age reduces the likelihood of bad decisions as a preteen or adolescent.
This is why we offer the Little Lion Tales these books are an excellent dialogue opener concerning such issues. As you read the many stories, be sure to stop and discuss with your child(ren), the decisions made and the positive and/ or negative results of each decision. Look for the other stories in this series, so you can begin discussing how to make positive choices with your children, helping to give them the best growing experience possible.
