Tips For Supporting Your Child's Interest In Martial Arts
If your child has a strong interest in martial arts, you might be excited that he or she is interested in a physical activity that can strengthen both his or her mind and body, but you might not know exactly how to support this interest. Here are some tips for supporting your child's interest in martial arts so that you can nurture that interest and show your child that you care.
1. Try to Watch Your Child's Classes
Your child is likely already signed up for classes at a martial arts academy. However, try to resist the urge to drop them off and run errands or take time for yourself. Instead, try to make sure that you go to their martial arts classes and actually watch them. Many academies encourage this because the children who are being watched are more likely to work harder in order to make their parents as proud as possible. Don't interrupt the class to cheer on your child, but feel free to give your child a quick thumbs up if you notice that he or she is looking at you. As a bonus, going to the classes will allow you to be up-to-date on different classes the academy offers and competitions that might be coming up that your child could participate in.
2. Encourage Your Child to Practice in Short Bursts At Home
You want to make sure that your child gets the muscle memory down for the different moves. This means that your child is going to need to practice at home. However, you don't need to force your child to practice for several hours on a single day. Instead, encourage your child to practice for ten to fifteen minutes several times a day throughout the week. If your child is hungry and dinner won't be ready for another fifteen minutes, suggest that your child practice during that time. If the space is wide enough, have your child practice some of the moves while he or she is watching TV. Frequently practicing in small spurts during the week makes it much easier for your child to retain the information that he or she learns in class.
3. Set a Certain Commitment
Before signing up your child for martial arts, have him or her agree to try it a certain number of times a week for a certain number of months. Your child might get bored when the novelty wears off and want to skip practice. Don't have any of it. Remind your child of the commitment that he or she made. After a certain number of months, your child will likely be good at it to the point where he or she will want to continue on his or her own, but if your child wants to quit after he or she has finished his or her commitment, allow him or her to do so. Holding your child to his or her commitment will allow him or her to learn responsibility and persistence.
For more information, talk to a company that specializes in martial arts, such as Master S.H. Yu Martial Arts.
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