Parental involvement is the key to reaching Black Belt.
First, a bit of advice to the parents of our amazing students. Remember that your children live in the moment. There may come a time, believe it or not, when they may not want to go to class. They might be watching a favorite TV show, playing with a best friend or reading a good book. Once they are in class, they do have fun, and they remember why they enjoy karate.
As parents, we are always looking for what is best for our child/children. I promise you, a BLACK BELT is one of those "bests" for your child.
Still, it can often be a struggle to stay on that path. Now that my wife and I are enjoying our fifth child moving towards Black Belt, we have a bit of experience in this matter. So here are my top suggestions:
1) You don't have to watch every class, but I would certainly hope you come to the Belt Test Graduations.
2) Take advantage of our additional special programs. Currently our Black Belt Club and Team Xtreme are full, but we can put you on the waiting list.
3) Have your child participate in seminars. These are always great, and they are usually inexpensive if not free.
4) Participate WITH your child in the many activities through out the year-often the whole family can join in. (ie in the last few months we had: Halloween Party and Spook Alley October 30th. Picture Day November 9th and 10th. Food Drive and movie on November 17th, and a Christmas/New Year's party during our holiday closed week.)
5) Get friends and neighbors enrolled. The temptation to stay and play with a friend versus attending class has been effectively eliminated. And it is always fun to work out with a friend. We also offer a "carpool" discount for you and the other carpooling participants.
6) Show your involvement by working on the personalized binder/scrapbook(you know the one...your child hands it in each belt test, and they will need it to bring to Texas for their Black Belt)with your child.
7) Ask your child what they learned that day, including the mat chat and handouts. Better yet, have them show you their new skills when they get home.
8) Practice. No, don't make them practice every day, unless your child wants to. However, I strongly recommend they practice for ten minutes before bedtime the material they learned that day. I am a big believer in productive dreams. Also, they should practice more when belt tests and tournaments are coming up.
9) SIGN UP YOURSELF! A whole separate letter needs to be written regarding the benefits of this alone. How else could we have six black belts (seventh next September) in our family if this weren't a family activity?
THE ROAD TO BLACK BELT IS THE BEST PARENTING AID IN THE WORLD!
Master David G. Pierce
Message from Master Pierce: INVOLVEMENT
