Parenting Blog

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We have come to the conclusion that the target we are aiming for as effective parents is to raise our kids so that they become responsible and successful young adults. Keeping this goal in focus, helps us hone our skills to that aim. At times, when the direction seems murky, coming back to this decision helps us decide which way to turn.

Sounds hard? It is really easier than you would think. There are 2 areas where children need direction; problem solving and accountability. Children who are being ornery and basically disrespectful, are telling you that don’t know how to solve a problem. The easier part of effective parenting – go through the actions to identify and solve the problem. Then be sure to add the piece of accountability for the decisions they make, good and bad.

No doubt, you’ve heard all about martial arts and children. Let us assure you that it’s all true. A kid who studies the martial arts is not only studying how to fight, they’re also learning self discipline, they’re learning patience, virtue and honor through a philosophical tradition that goes back centuries. Karate is not just a sport, it’s not just some sort of after school activity. It is a means of self discovery.

Karate isn’t just a sport or an after school activity, it is a journey. Karate is a path of enlightenment and self discovery, and when your children practice regularly in the dojo, they will be able to approach life from a position of confidence and enlightenment.

Children actually pick these sort of skills up at a much quicker pace than the majority of adults. Starting young in Karate training is, then, perhaps the most effective way to begin the journey.

If you’re worried that karate is dangerous for children, quite the opposite is true. Injuries can be sustained in the dojo, but major injuries are incredibly rare, and far less common than more severe injuries on the football field or even in track running. In youth sparring matches, the kids wear full body padding to reduce the risk of injury, and it’s clear that it’s really more of a game of tag than it is a real fight.

We all know what a bad parent looks like: intolerant, constantly critical, more interested in their own affairs (in both senses of the word) than in the needs of their children. But what does it take to be a good parent? What does it take to give your children the very best start to life that you possibly can?

In the 1960’s John Bowlby did a lot of work looking into the effects of parenting on children. In those days he coined the term “good-enough parenting”. His thesis was that provided you avoided the sins of “bad” parenting, you were doing okay, and your children, with their own natural resilience, would also do okay. So is that all there is to it? Or are there things that you, as a parent, can do to be more than just a “good enough” parent. Can you, indeed, be a “super parent”, even the “ultimate” parent? Or is that just a myth of the feminist movement?