Hoop or Opportunity?

You’ve heard it before, and you will continue to hear it throughout your childs (and yours, hopefully) Kung Fu career; parental engagement is key for success. Not just being engaged, but how you are engaged is critical. What are our goals for your child? We repeatedly mention discipline and respect. And not the put-your-nose-in-the-corner discipline. We want to help them develop the ability, focus, and desire to follow through on tasks that may seem mundane or hard but necessary or right. We want to help them to excel at whatever they do, become the decision makers and world shakers of their generation. 

We teach compassion and empathy. They’re not always going to get it right. We adults don’t always get it right. We see these moments as opportunities to teach and learn, giving them the desire to correct instead of feeling shame for their mistakes. 

Shame does nothing but sabotage all progress and stamp out all desire to try again. 

We have a great opportunity coming up; our annual Break-a-thon. What better way to build up your child’s (and yours!) confidence than by breaking a bunch of boards with their bare hands? What better way to teach your child empathy and in turn teaching them to value themselves and others, than by teaching them about others in need and getting them involved with raising awareness about these issues?

And guess what? They’re not going to be successful at breaking these boards every single time they try. Which is great. This means we will have ample opportunity to not only increase their Kung Fu skill, but also teach them to try again when things are hard, and boost their confidence when they finally succeed. 

But what is our greatest tool in reaching our goals, you ask? You, the parents and caregivers. 

We will not succeed in our goals without you. Your engagement and how you engage is critical. Let me repeat that; your engagement and how you engage is critical.

Just with anything else in life, the easy way isn’t necessarily the best way. Yes, this is a fundraiser, and our goal is to raise $100/student. The easy way? Write a cheque and call ‘er done. The best way? Get your child involved, teach them about the charities they are raising money and awareness for, let them practice their communication skills by getting them to talk to grandma and uncle and neighbour instead of doing it for them. 

And, above all, make it fun. Doesn’t matter how meaningful the lesson, if they are not having fun or feel like you are forcing them, they will not learn a thing. 

One of your fellow parents/training mate has embraced these concepts and I guarantee you, her children will reap the benefits of her engagement. Here is her approach to the fundraising portion of the Break-a-thon.

Khona Rybak