Instructor Spotlight: Miss Carlie

Miss Carlie is AWESOME! 

She grew up in our children's program, got her Junior Black Belt, and is the tough girl role model for all of our Little Warrior's as she shows the adult class you don't have to be big to be fierce!

She loves working at Warrior's Way because:

"I love seeing the kids grow and develop into beautiful, strong warriors."

The kiddos love Miss Carlie because: 

She gives amazing hugs and is always looking for quirky ways to make others smile.

She is everyone's number one cheerleader and is never to busy to build others up.

She is always happy to help and excellent at finding fun ways to explain techniques.

A little bit more about Miss Carlie:

Miss Carlie is a 17 year old high school student who has made training a priority in her life since a young age. Miss Carlie's goal is to get her adult Black Belt and become a Full Instructor here at Warrior's Way. So far we've only had one Little Warrior achieve this, but miss Carlie is well on her way to accomplishing this awesome goal. Her dream job is to be a martial arts instructor or a police officer. We're very excited to see how she continues to kick butt in the future!

A few of Miss Carlie's favorite things:

Being the awesome warrior princess that Miss Carlie is her choice of favorite movie came as no surprise to us. She loves the tough princess Mulan and watching Young Justice super hero re-runs. In addition to martial arts Miss Carlie loves to sew, make art, sleep, playing tennis in her free time, and eating her favorite food sushi. She is also one of the sweetest, most kindhearted youth we know.

Some tiny Warrior pictures of Miss Carlie just for fun:

First day of class! Already looking like a fierce Warrior!

We love Warrior's Way Award Ceremonies!

Our team just wouldn't be the same without her. 

We can't thank her enough for being such an awesome part of our team!

#RaiseAWarrior

Finding Your Child's Love Language

     So now that the individuality of love languages is on your radar it’s time we start making an action plan on how to make the change and grow alongside your little one. After all an idea without a plan is just a wish to do better. Now don’t panic. Before you think we are giving you parenting homework know that we get it. Life is busy, but we’ve got your back and the plan is all laid out. Like we mentioned last week, learning your child’s love language isn’t a matter of doing more, but of continuing to do what you already are, just better!

     Alright so back to the basics with a quick recap for those just now joining our cause, according to Dr. Gary Chapman there are 5 love languages. They are…

1.     Words of Affirmation: those little comments that call attention to what’s at the core of each child or teen that makes them a unique individual

2.     Acts of Service: those big or little things we do that prove we care no matter how busy life gets

3.     Quality Time: when we spend time with others on a one-on-one basis it speaks to their heart and says “You’re important and I like being with you.”

4.     Physical Touch: the easiest and yet sometimes most awkward love language to fill; from rough housing, tickle fights, to hugs or high fives, it’s those little gestures that are full of so many unspoken words

5.     Gift Giving: those meaningful gifts that are symbols of love, full of meaningful memories, or the “just because type” when we something and were thinking of them

      Everyone has a primary love language that most effectively fills them up and most people have a secondary one also. As unique individuals it feels most natural to love others in your primary love language. So for example if you feel most loved when you’re spending time with others you will most naturally go out of your way to also give that quality time to the ones you love. Quality time like that is always an awesome gift to your little ones, and since it is exactly the kind of love you yourself crave it is easy for these actions to lull us, as parents, into a false sense of security. I mean after all our children “should just know” how much we love them right?

     You have to be careful though. Assumptions are tricky things and often they couldn’t be further from the truth. It is impossible for anyone, especially a child, to just know what we are thinking and feeling, especially if we are inconsistently or rarely speaking their personal love language. So now that we see the love pitfall that so many fall victim too we have to do everything in our power to avoid it. The first step towards change is an awareness of the need to change. Now that you’re on board and committed to loving the ones in your family the way they essentially need to be loved how do we figure out what makes them tick? I mean a one in five chance isn’t the worst odds possible, but something to even the playing field in our favor would be too awesome to pass up. So here are the best ways we’ve found to help you discover which language form best communicates love to your child:

·        Observe how your child expresses love to you: A child who brightens your day by saying “Mommy, you’re so pretty” may desire to hear more words of affirmation

·        Observe how your child expresses love to others: A child who wants to take presents to his teacher may appreciate more love shown in the form of gifts

·        Pay attention and listen to what your child requests most often: A child who asks for a bedtime glass of milk is seeking acts of service, whereas a child who asks “How did I do in class today?” is asking for more praise and affirmation

·        Notice what your child most frequently complains about: A child who says “You’re always at work and so busy” likely needs more quality time from you

Got a second to look even deeper into this topic? Check out the article below for even more ways to recognize and fulfill your child’s primary and secondary love language. Our children are our life’s greatest work, so strive to give them your best. Happy parenting!

How to Speak Your Child’s Love Language

#RaiseAWarrior

Love Languages: A Secret to Finding a Happier Home Life

     Hollywood is selling us a version of love that is a mushy, wonderful thing full of butterflies, romance, and exotic adventures without price tags. We love the idea of this love, but the older we get the more we realize that love, at least the true enduring kind, is more of an exercise of self discipline, sacrifice, and putting others first. Butterflies occur, but they are completely optional rather than a guarantee. Our children are also sold this same image of perfect love from an early age in the form of storybooks, movies, and music. We all want that fictitious, easy love regardless of age. That’s why we return to our favorite love stories and rom-coms like a favorite well worn t-shirt, they just fill us up in a way reality cannot match. As adults, we recognize this for a brief respite into a fictional world, but our children cannot yet separate the two. 

     As parents we love our children and then love them some more. We pour into them every spare second and dollar we have. So it is frustrating when we as parent’s come home from a work trip with a present that gets a lackluster response, or when returning home after an outing planned especially for our little one the whining and complaining begins almost instantaneously. This acting out isn’t fair. We just loved them so hard and our reward is being taken for granted or behavioral issues. So how do we make our home a happier, less contentious place? How do we get our children to see we love them the best we can? Especially when the majority of us, as parents, already feel stressed out and overwhelmed?? I mean there are only so many hours in a day. Social media is pushing in our faces the idea that we simply aren’t doing enough for our child and that if we do more the warzone in our home will cease and our child will suddenly become the little angel we all know they are at their core. Surprisingly it isn’t a matter of needing to do more for our kiddos, it is a simple matter of needing to do some things better.

     The answer lies in Gary Chapman’s theory of 5 love languages. A love language is how we prefer to show love to others and how we best understand expressions of love from someone else. For example presents are nice, but that doesn’t fill some of us up the way a sink of empty dishes or a sweet back rub does. When our love language actions don’t match the language of our child, we can love them to the best of our ability without them feeling much of anything at all. As such, our love actions should be intentionally geared towards filling up our child’s very individualized emotional love tanks.

     Speaking from experience, it is easy to recognize times in our life when we felt emotionally low, running on empty from giving so much of ourselves to others. Our children are the same way. When our child’s love tank is nearing empty it is hard for them to be or do their best. They are more likely to get angry or act out. So the easiest thing we can do to fix our home life is to begin to recognize our child’s individual love language(s) so we can love them in a way that feels like true love to them.

     Here at Raise a Warrior we believe that finding and learning to speak love in your child’s primary and secondary love language will go a long way towards avoiding miscommunications, preventing behavioral issues, and most importantly promoting healthy relationships as it helps them truly feel your love and the priority they are within your life. We hope that you take time to read the following article and start making plans to level up your parenting because after all everyone just wants and needs to be loved and appreciated a little more. Happy parenting!

WHAT IS YOUR CHILD'S LOVE LANGUAGE?

#RaiseAWarrior

Looking to find more ways to spend time with your kiddo and fill up their love tank? 

Join us on the mat each month for Family Participation Days. 

(Upcoming family participation days are December 3rd and 4th) 

#FamilyTimeIsTheBestTime

Gratitude: In the Holidays and Beyond

     Looking around at today's culture we can clearly see evidence of a growing trend that is sub-optimal to say the least. More and more young people are growing up, feeling that the world genuinely revolves around them. So how do we curb this growing me epidemic in a culture that is all about selfie?? As parent's we can easily recall times when we felt frustrated or embarrassed by how ungrateful our child has been in moments past. We also know, realistically that life is hard and can't be relied on to gift our child's every heart's desire and whim. So how do we ensure our children truly learn to appreciate all they have? A grateful attitude is so much more than training our littles to recite a polite "thank you" to friends and family. At this time of holiday cheer we know that gratitude, especially when practiced daily, brings so much added joy to our lives. So how do we make grateful hearts the underlying theme in our home in this season of thankfulness and beyond? We scoured the internet and hope that the following ideas will make the upcoming holiday season that much brighter and better.

     So first things first, you've recognize the need for more gratitude in your child. Now the hard part. We have to truly take a look at our own actions and how they play into this. I mean we do all this great stuff for our kids... outings, activities, gifts, the list goes on... we fill their time with joy and then the second we are home the whining and complaining begins again with full force. Our frustration is almost instantaneous. Can't they see we work so hard for them?! This cycle of us trying to fulfill our child's every desire, ungrateful whining, and frustration begins again and again. But the truth is we don't have to do all these things for them. We live in a world where picture perfect parenting is pushed into our face 24/7 and so like any peer pressure gimmick we feel the need to do more, buy more, and be more for our child. The truth is it is ok for a child to want non-necessities or for there to be a regular delay in gratification. If you aren't happy with your child's behavior look first to your role in the situation.


     Luckily for us our children becoming needy and demanding is not inevitable. Nothing is set in stone and even the most distractible, still developing child can be set on the right path and taught to be thankful for the blessings in their life. Gratitude is more than just words or even a behavior, it is an internal experience and an overall outlook on life. It involve us not only NOTICING the things people give or do for us, it involves us THINKING about why the would show us such care, connecting that with how we FEEL about receiving such kindness, and then DOING something to express our appreciation. The key to our children developing an attitude of gratitude is for them to start NOTICING, THINKING, FEELING, and then DOING something about it.
   
     This plus a daily effort to count our blessings will lead to better quality of relationships all around as well as increased happiness and less complaining in your home. I don't know about you, but that sounds like a win to us. So invest the added time and effort into teaching your child the principle of gratitude. Not only will it benefit everyone now, but it also arms your child with the emotional strength and fortitude to make it through life's times of plenty and times of hardship with grace and a grateful heart.

We hope you have the happiest of Thanksgivings this week! 

And we are so incredibly grateful for every single one of you!!!

11 Tips for Instilling True Gratitude in Your Kids

#RaiseAWarrior

 

Confidence: the Wind Beneath Your Child's Wings

    Do you remember orphan Annie, the Hardy Boys, or Nancy Drew? Wouldn't it be nice is we could all raise kids with the confidence and compassion of these spunky characters? Sure, most of our children won't be orphaned with an evil headmistress or facing off criminals in their spare time, but the reality of a hard knock life is for everyone. We can't protect our children from this forever. So we have to make the most of this truth by seeking to equip our children with enough confidence to not only make it through these trials, but to also thrive in the face of adversity.

     Self confidence, in the truest sense of the word, stems from a deep and internal sense of security, a feeling of competence. It requires us to be able to realistically view our abilities through a positive internal filter. This feeling of competence rises with achievement and perseverance in the face of failure. Now I know we don't want to see our children fail or be sad because of a loss. What kind of parent would get excited over that?! But the truth is we have to remember our job is to work until we are no longer needed. Retirement is a goal. We want our kids to grow up- living full, independent lives beyond the safety of us and our homes. We don't want to look to the future and realize our child will be living in our basement for all eternity. Is it scary to think of our kiddos being on their own? Absolutely! But the truth is the best gift we can give our children is to curb our own anxieties, giving our children room to grow deep roots and their own wings. Unconditional love is their roots and self-confidence will be their wings. Without these things a future of big Johnny asking you to heat up Hot Pockets while he plays Fortnight endlessly is far too real for comfort.

     So how do we raise confident kids without losing our mind's as parents or becoming an empty praise pusher? Luckily as martial arts instructors we're helping a little bit in that department. Children learn to recognize and build upon their strengths as they practice techniques, and achieve increasingly more difficult goals. They also learn how to handle defeat, and rely on a team while they take time to set goals focused on strengthening their weaknesses. But confidence is so important it needs to be an integrated part of your child's life, definitely more than 45 minutes of growth on the mat twice a week. 

     We've been talking with your warriors about confidence all month long in our mat chats, but as parents there is so much more YOU can do to set your child on the path of success. 

• Model self love so your little one understands they are ultimately their best cheerleader. 
• Celebrate the process more than the result. 
• And most importantly don't be afraid to let them fail. 

     This will be a journey of resilience for the both of you, but one we promise you won't regret in the end. Looking for more ideas on how to raise a confident warrior? Check out this awesome article we found to help get you started making your child's confidence a priority.

9 Secrets of Confident Kids

Until next time! 

#RaiseAWarrior

Instructor Spotlight: Mr. Aidan

Mr. Aidan is AWESOME! 

He grew up in our children's program, got his Junior Black Belt, and he's still kicking butt years later. We're grateful to have such an awesome youth who is so willing to give back 

to future generations of Warriors.

He loves working at Warrior's Way because:

"It's like getting paid to play with kids, while making them better people."

The kiddos love Mr Aidan because: 

He's the big brother figure all of our new students get to first meet and hang out with on their first day.

He's always trying to make them laugh with his silly antics.

He gives the best hugs when someone's having a bad day.

His appreciation for good memes or dad jokes.

A little bit more about Mr Aidan:

Mr Aidan is a 17 year old senior in high school who's dream job is to work at Warrior's Way. He has 2 dogs and 1 cat. When we asked about his furry friends he said "the cat is very large." His bucket list goal is to "have enough money to be able to support my mom 100% without any drawbacks." If that doesn't show his sincere heart of gold we aren't sure what does! He definitely has a very special mom. We love that he demonstrates the Warrior virtues of gratitude and respect so well toward his number one role model.

A few of Mr Aidan's favorite things:

When it comes to food this teenager is all about honey chicken. His love of laughter and joy is clearly seen in his favorite entertainment choices- the Emperor's New Groove and the TV show Community. His favorite hobbies include working out, training martial arts, and having dinner with friends. His favorite super hero is Superman and we absolutely love his reason why! When speaking about his personal hero Mr Aidan told us "my mom raised me to always hold the ideals of truth and justice above all else. My own goal is to be like Superman so it works out." He definitely fits that good-natured, boy scout, hero type role.

Some tiny Warrior pictures of Mr Aidan just for fun:

Mr. Aidan had the same goals your Warriors do! He worked hard and got his Jr. Black Belt!

Our team just wouldn't be the same without him. 

We can't thank him enough for being the 'superman' to our team!

Halloween Safety

Halloween is a magical time full of spooks, ghouls, and pumpkin fun. Kids absolutely love it. The trick or treating, classroom parties, costumes, and sugar rush all instantly make Halloween our kiddo's favorite. For parents there is often a fine line between Halloween fun and safety concerns. Here's a great post with quick tips on how to keep this spooky holiday from being a scary one.

We hope you have an AMAZING Halloween!

15 trick-or-treating safety tips to ensure a happy and healthy Halloween

#RaiseAWarrior

Tricky People: Things to Teach You Child Before Trick or Treating

     With Halloween coming up it's time to start thinking about how to protect our kiddos and ensure they have a safe night while trick or treating. Halloween can be a big scary night, but not because of costumes. Whether you trick or treat with your child, let them go in a group, send them out alone or with a sibling, Halloween can be a ripe opportunity for your child to get lost or separated from the group by accident or by people who's intentions are far from noble.

     We work on stranger danger with your Warriors regularly. We want them to feel comfortable saying "No", fighting and running (when needed) while yelling for help, and with telling a safe adult what happened after. But what if your child gets lost and needs an adult's help to locate you? Do they know how to recognize a safe stranger?? Have you reiterated how to recognize a tricky adult who might not truly be trying to help them? Do you as a family, have a safe word or password that allows your child to leave an area with another adult?


   
     These are scary topics to think about, but teaching our children the information and skills they need in order to handle unsafe situations breeds confidence- not fear. When everything is said and done, the phrase "knowledge is power" undoubtedly applies to our children keeping themselves safe. As much as we wish we could physically be present always and protect our kiddos from everything, that is just not reality. So don't lose sleep over this. You can empower your child and give them confidence by teaching them what to do in these kinds of situations.

     This article by our sister school, Pride Mixed Martial Arts in Edmond Oklahoma, offers some great advice on how to seek out a safe adult and practice feeling courageous and strong in these kind of situations. A few other safety points we would like to make include:

1. Teach your child that in addition to women (as the below article suggests), strangers in uniform (i.e. Police officers, fire fighters, EMS, nurses, military personnel, store workers, and security guards) tend to be good guys and the safest in a situation where your child is lost and/or need help
2. Teach your child that if an adults needs help, they'll ask another adult for help. Not a kid. This is important to stress because only tricky people try to lure a child away by asking a kid for their help.
3. Setup a family password. If an emergency were to arise and you or another family member cannot pick the child up from school, or an event it is best to have a family password setup in advance. This password has to be given by the neighbor or friend attempting to pick the child up before the child leaves the area with them. This is important because as much as we want to trust the people in our lives, statistics show that children are taken advantage of primarily by someone they are familiar with rather than a true stranger they've never met. Instilling a family password lets your child know all is safe and this empowers them during stressful or scary situations. Be sure to quiz them on this password routinely and change it once utilized.

Overall the important thing to remember is:

"It's not what you do for your children,

but what you have taught them to do for themselves

that will make them successful human beings" (Ann Landers)

Hope this helps! Check the full article out here and get ready 

to have an AMAZING safe and fun Halloween with your Warrior!

Teach your kids how to talk to strangers

#RaiseAWarrior 

Instructor Spotlight: Miss Vashni

Miss Vashni is AWESOME! 

She grew up in our children's program, got her Junior Black Belt, and we've been her first and only job since her teenage years.

She loves working at Warrior's Way because:

"I love spending time with the kiddos at Warrior's Way. They are all so happy and funny. They put a smile on my face every day!

The kiddos love Miss Vashni because: 

She is so sweet!

She loves to laugh and play with them

She is a great example of patience and kindness

She is never too busy to help fix a boo-boo or resolve a conflict

A little bit more about Miss Vashni:

Miss Vashni (aka Bunny or Bumbi to her family here at WW) is a rock star! She is unique because she is so capable of assisting with the business side of things as well as stepping onto the mat and rocking it in class if needed. Miss Vashni is married to her sweetheart and loves her two fur baby puppies, Leeloo and Cooper, very much. She grew up in Wichita Falls pretty much her whole life. She loves working with her family and is a true asset to our team. Her heroes are parents Tuhon Harley and Krystal because "they raised me to be a strong woman and I would not be the person I am today without them!"

A few of Miss Vashni's favorite things:

When asked to pick a favorite food she said "EVERYTHING! I love food." She sure can eat for such a tiny thing. A few of Miss Vashni's other favorite things are pigs, owls, hedgehogs, dogs, babies, aimless trips to Hobby Lobby, the color burgundy, the movie Moulin Rouge, listening to music, having a dance party, and painting/drawing in her free time.

Some tiny Warrior pictures of Miss Vashni just for fun:

Miss Vashni and sister Miss Alana at their Jr. Black Belt Test

Our team just wouldn't be the same without her. 

We can't thank her enough for everything she does!

Parenting Styles: How to Make the Change

     As a part of the team helping raise your Warrior child we know that this parenting thing is not an exact science. Parenting your little is a roller coaster of a journey with lots of ups, downs, and unforgettable memories. We wish there was a cheat code that instantly helped you raise a well rounded child, but we haven't found it yet. Thankfully, we are all in this together and families are the center of our mission here at Warrior's Way. So while you manage the day to day task of raising your Warrior you can count on us to be in your box, and at your back, coaching you through the hurdles of parenting.


     Last month we shared an article with y'all that touched on different parenting styles and how they affect growing children. Maybe you were familiar with Baumrind's theories or maybe that was all new info for you. Regardless, research shows that kids led by authoritative figure are stronger and more prepared for the challenges of adulthood. Authoritative parenting focuses on high expectations/limits coupled with the warmth, support, and resources your child needs to succeed. It is the same kind of consistent, positive, open reasoning leadership that we use on the mat in our academy to guide children.
      As a parent you probably already lean towards one style more than the others. It probably feels natural based on how you were raised and personal experience. However, life is about growing and changing. You can adopt a more authoritative style of parenting even if it's not your default reaction. It just takes some conscious action while you work on building these new habits. 

     Today's article gives us some easy outlined steps to start this process of change. We hope that with a little time, attention, and flexibility you can find better balance in your home. After all, leveling up your parenting skills helps the whole family learn and grow. Hope this helps!

    12 Ways to Become a More Authoritative Parent

#RaiseAWarrior 

Bye-Bye Sore Loser

sports·man·ship

noun

1. fair and generous behavior or treatment of others, especially in a sports contest.

No matter the age there is always a thrill that comes with playing a games. We can't help it. As humans our innate nature and drive is to win. Now some competition isn't necessarily a bad thing. Competitive drive is what pushes us to do better in work, relationships, academics and life in general. However, a competitive streak can easily spin out of control.

Here at Warrior's Way we're not about winning at all costs. We try to teach your kiddos that good sportsmanship means honoring everyone on the field of the competition, including opponents, instructors, parents and spectators. Because sportsmanship, when it really comes down to it isn't about games or rules, but rather it is about treating others with respect and being a good person. 

1. 
   

 

There is no great secret to teaching sportsmanship. Kids follow our lead and need chances to test what they're learning. Most Warrior characteristics are like a muscle. They need to be utilized frequently to become stronger and ingrained within your child. We know that the lessons we teach on the mat work best with what y'all are already doing at home. It's that easy. We're the adults and the kids are watching. Hope this article helps you set the example and instill the principle at home so the little Warriors can follow.

Kids Who Just Gotta Win

#RaiseAWarrior

Not sure what kind of sportsman your kiddo is yet? 

Put these character building lessons and their skills to the test:

Don't forget to stop by the front desk and register for 

NEXT weekend's STICK FIGHTING TOURNAMENT!!! 

Our Warriors have been training hard all month to prep for this event! 

See you on the mat. Details posted throughout our academy

Instructor Spotlight: Getting to Know Mr. Parker

Warrior's Way is a family business. 

Our team of instructors are family. We value them not only because we know they are so influential to our students and vital to our mission, but also because they are such a huge part of our personal lives. As such we want to recognize the great instructors who are helping us, help you, raise a warrior. 

In getting to know our staff we hope that you feel a greater part of our family, that you can see some of the good work our program has done for other warrior children (many of whom still train and we are blessed to have work with us and your kiddos), and that together we can grow closer as an instrumental team that is helping shape the leaders of tomorrow. Your warriors are the future and we want to help them be the very best they can be. Here are the people who are the backbone of our mission. They mean so very much to us. I hope that getting to know them a little more over the next few months sheds some light 

on our goals for you and your child.

Thank you for having us on your team and
thank you for trusting us by sharing your loved ones with us.

We love our time with your special little warrior and seeing them (and y'all) achieve goals.

Mr. Parker is AWESOME! 

He has been training with us and helping shape Little Warriors for six years!

He loves working at Warrior's Way because:

he gets to "see the growth and development in kids that continue to train over the years."

The kiddos love Mr. Parker because: 

He is always trying to make them laugh

He brings such a great energy to classes

His Bruce Lee sound effects are the best!

He is always adding spins and combat rolls to his lessons

A little bit more about Mr. Parker:

Mr. Parker went to high school here in Wichita Falls at Rider High School. He played football and came to try martial arts because a friend kept inviting him to class. Six years later it is still one of the best decisions he ever made. Mr. Parker's (or Mr. Perky to his fellow team-mates) is living out his dream job as a martial arts instructor and we are so proud of the amazing leader he has become. Leadership is definitely one of the Warrior characteristics he brings to the mat.

Our team just wouldn't be the same without him. We can't thank him enough.

Raising Compassionate Children in an Unkind World

     In today's culture compassion and kindness are under attack. We live in a highly competitive environment were selfishness and egocentrism have become the norm. It is a dog eat dog world and it kind of feels like if you aren't looking out for yourself no one will. 

     We feel that a world with that outlook will be an even darker place for our children to grow up and raise their own families in. It is up to us to stop the trend and raise the next generation to be different. As parent's you have a special job. You get to raise up the next generation of leaders. You can't rely on the world to decide what is best for your child. No one is invested in their future quite like you are. 

Our homes have to be the first line of defense. They're like preparatory battle camps where we raise our children up to be strong warriors capable of going against societal norms. Only then can we hope to create the kind of ripple effect that kindness and compassion can have on the world and our future as a whole.We love compassion because its the wellspring of so many other special qualities; like kindness, love and generosity, and will serve our children so well in multiple aspects of their lives.

     In trying to teach your kiddos about compassion this month we've been focusing on the principle of filling people's love bucket. In case you're unfamiliar with the concept, the love bucket is an invisible meter that every person carries with them. Every moment of every day that bucket is being filled with acts of love and kindness or emptied when treated poorly or facing hardship. People are being filled and crushing today or they are being drained and struggling. It has been great hearing all of your littles share with us ways they have filled or raised another person up today. They're really being creative and striving to be more compassionate in school and at home. 

     Of course our lessons are best coupled with reinforcement from their number one heroes/mentors (aka y'all) so we thought this great read might help you further instill the principle of compassion in your family's life. Happy parenting! 

5 Ways to Instill Compassion in Your Child

#RaiseAWarrior 

A Generational Call to Action

Every generation is different. We all grew up in different ages and faced different problems. As such, there isn't a lot of preparation to ready parents to face the generational struggles their children will encounter...

Currently, our technological society is molding a weaker generation. Kids these days just aren't able to connect with others as well, they are used to getting what they want (when they want it), they aren't used to overcoming failure, and overall just can't cope with the mundane aspects of life as well. 

Is this our fault? As parents we all have the best of intentions. I mean who doesn't want to make their kiddos happy 24/7? We want to give them the world! We want their lives to be awesome and enriched. We definitely don't want them to be disappointed ever because they are so special and important to us. Sound familiar? But we all make mistakes. 

I loved this article for pointing out it's ok for kids not to be happy all the time. As parents this is a mantra we need to remember. It goes against everything Pinterest and Insta parenting promotes, but the truth is our kids need us to realize this. 
The endless stream of instant happiness does not make a strong Warrior. It doesn't help our children cope with the realities of the world in the long term.

Take a look at this and see if this call to action resonates with you. Change might be met with eye rolls and resistance for a little bit, 
but it always leads to a brighter future.

REASONS TODAY’S KIDS ARE BORED, ENTITLED, IMPATIENT WITH FEW REAL FRIENDS

#RaiseAWarrior