Instructor Spotlight: Mr. David

Mr. David is AWESOME! 

Mr. David may look like a giant during our children's classes, but he's a total softy on the inside. He gives amazing bear hugs and is always there to brighten everyone's day.

Mr. David strives to teach our Little Warriors:

"To always have integrity and do what is right no matter what!"

The kiddos love Mr. David because:

He likes to change his voice while counting off exercises, so they never know if he's going to be a pretty princess or drill sergeant for the day.

Because he makes sure everyone has the material before moving on.

Because when he rustles their hair for encouragement it is similar to being mauled by a bear.

Because of his big smile and his love of laughter

A few of Mr. David's favorite things:

Mr. David absolutely loves spaghetti! So much that he would be able to eat just that for this rest of his life. Talk about a commitment!. Mr. David loves martial arts and has been training with us for nearly 10 years! He also loves the movie 'The Godfather', dragons, reading, writing, lifting weights, and thinking. He is always up for a good debate and truly keeps our younger instructors on their toes with his almost daily thought provoking questions.

A little bit more about Mr. David:

Mr. David is a military retiree who is father to four of the cutest little girls ever. When we asked him what his dream job is he said "Being a dad to my girls. There is nothing I enjoy more." Definitely shows that this tough guy has a heart of gold. It's no wonder he fits in on the mat teaching our Little Warriors.

Mr. David you're a rock star! 

You set a great example for your girls and our students. We are so blessed to have you on mission and on our team. Can't wait to see how far you go!

#RaiseAWarrior 

A More Positive Way to Discipline

Ever wished your kiddo came with a remote control? Volume off button? Or a user manual? Trust me we've all been there. Sometimes you just have to escape reality for a moment with these kind of impossible day dreams. Because being a parent and Raising a Warrior is hard. I get it. We give them so much of our time, our day, our life and they push and push us until we just blow. Sometimes we yell. We always regret it, but we don't really have another tool that works when things get hot and tempers flare. 

But the truth is we know that yelling isn't okay to use for disciplining our child regularly. Yelling teaches a child that it's okay to use aggression to manage their issues with others. And I don't know about you, but that is definitely not the kind of trait we are trying to permanently instill. So this week's blog offers a more positive way to discipline. You don't have to yell. There is hope and a better way to keep things from getting to that point. So here are some excellent positive disciplining tools that we try to use in the Academy every day.

Offer choices:

Ever given your child a command and got a "no" as a response? It just makes your blood boil doesn't it? Rather than delve into this messy and dissatisfying power struggle realize there is a better way. Children have very little control of their life. They don't get to choose their food, what the schedule will be like, when they go to bed, or much of anything. So when bluntly ordered about they take a stand and try to show some autonomy. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it can be very trying for us as parents. So instead of matching wills with your child offer them a choice. Even something as simple as "would you like to put your jammies on first or brush your teeth" allows them to exert some control in their life. We use it with punishments all the time. "Would you like to take a nap or write sentences?" It is very effective. Just make sure you can live with both decisions regardless of what they choose. And here's to less defiance in the future.

Create a yes environment:

How many times do you say "no" to your child throughout the day? Now consider how many times you say yes... there's a big difference between the two. The more we say "no" to our child in our day to day lives the less meaning it has and the more likely they are to ignore it. So work to make your home a "yes" environment. I'm not saying let them run the roost. But it is beneficial to give them a chance to try things and express their individuality within safe limits. Rather than saying "no" to a child who wants to spend the night at a friends, create a sleep over guideline, and if they violate that agreement and don't respect the boundaries it's buh-bye sleepover fun. This same plan works when teens want to drive, youth who want to go to the mall alone, etc. The less you automatically say "no" in day to day the more likely they are to pay attention when you do say it. 

Focus on how to set it right:

We often respond negatively to our child's mistakes. It's kind of our knee jerk parenting reaction. We say "No hitting," "Don't name call," "No pushing." But all of these "no's" don't teach our child the solution that should replace their behavior. It's okay to say "we don't hit" or "no hitting" you just have to follow it up with the solution as well, like "we use our words instead." This formula of correction clearly sets the boundaries and expectations for your child. And it also gives them a formula for success in the future. It's not guaranteed that you won't have to say "no" several times to get it to sink in, but you definitely won't be saying it for the rest of eternity. 

Check how you view mistakes:

Have you ever been around those parent's who call their child "bad" or "mean." This is such a terrible thing to say to a child. Even in moments of anger, the words we use to describe our child are fundamental in how they begin to view themselves. They aren't "bad." It is their behavior that is unacceptable, not them. And you cannot stress this enough during these formative years. So make sure, even in anger, you keep these goals in mind. It will go a long way towards helping your Little Warrior be confident and to continually keep building positive relationships with your little.

Be consistent:

Consistency is key when it comes to discipline. And it helps your child understand and learn what is and isn't acceptable. Without a consistent message from us, their parents, how can they know how to behave? We learn from our mistakes and we move past them. A kid with inconsistent consequences won't be able to do this. So set them up for success and be consistent in your discipline. Even when you're busy, or tired, or frustrated. It matters more than the rest of these all combined.

We've seen these changes to discipline work wonders for us and we hope they help your home life too! Keep it up parenting warriors! You're awesome!

#RaiseAWarrior 

Connecting with your Warrior: 5 Daily Habits to Make a Priority this Summer

     Ask any fellow parent how life is going and I guarantee you'll hear some version of "we're staying busy." Between the never ending emails, work, keeping house, play dates, kid's extracurricular activities... it seems like our to do list's and days are unending. But is all this busyness beneficial for our families? It is easy for us to view any productivity as a good thing when there are tiny humans involved because we parents all know how challenging it can be to get anything done on time with a kiddo or two in tow. So when we truly look at this currently trending 'busyness' epidemic is it a good thing or is it stealing chances to connect with our child away from us?

     Here at Warrior's Way we are firm believers that family time is the best time. The good news for you busy parents is that quality one on one time with your little ones trumps quantity any day. We know that your days are jam packed, but it only takes a few spare moments in between life to truly connect with our kids. So this summer lets make family our priority Warrior parents. We know that if you take the time to build these special moments into your daily routine a few minutes here and there, you will truly see your relationship transform in unexpected ways. So here are 5 easy daily habits to help make connecting with your Little Warrior a true priority this summer.

Hug it out:

     There is a lot of good that comes from simple hugs or an affectionate touch. In fact it is such a studied topic that family therapist Virginia Satir is most famously known for saying, "We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth." This is also probably the easiest new habit to squeeze into our already busy schedules. So give it a try and snuggle your kiddo a little extra today. Whether it's a good morning squeeze, a pat on the back, a friendly hello, or a gentle hair tousle these moments are priceless when it comes to our since of connection and well-being.

Enter their creative worlds:

     Kid's are so imaginative. Their minds are truly magic at all ages. So take time to enter their creative worlds. Get to know them in each and every creative stage, explore their likes and dislikes. As parents we know how quickly these interests and play worlds change. So savor each stage. Whether they are inviting you to color, kill creepers in Minecraft, build with legos, or have a tea party make it a priority. When you make time a few weeks from now that stage could be gone forever. So make their creative world a priority. These are the moments you will miss and wish for when they are older. And a child who feels connected and understood is less likely to act out than one who doesn't feel a priority. So make one on one play time a weekly priority.

Take 5 and be present:

     Because life is so busy we have become master level multi-taskers. I mean be honest with yourself... how many times have we been guilty of half listening to a story of our child's day while answering emails, texting, or making a grocery list? So take 5 minutes. The work will still be there when you're done. So turn off your phone or turn down the music for even 5 minutes. Your child will remember for the rest of their life that they were important enough that your stopped what you were doing and gave them your undivided attention. This is also an excellent practice in the car when picking up your child from whatever activity or event they just came from. Lowering the music and just asking them how today was can be a powerful invitation to connect. The lack of eye contact in a car really takes the pressure off so kids are more likely to open up and share.

Weekly one on one date:

     This is a cute tradition that even if done bi-weekly can lead to some truly special memories. We see varieties of this in many of our Warrior families and it's too precious not to share. And the best part is this can be whatever you want it to be. Some families get ice cream every Friday, others have game nights or go bowling every week. The thing is it doesn't matter what you do for your family date. Having something you can reliably look forward too, a chance to just let loose, laugh and have fun is good for everyone. So start some awesome traditions and make family date night a priority in your home. 

End the day on a high note:

     I get it Warrior parents. Sometimes your day is just too busy and you can barely squeeze in 12 affectionate hugs. Have no fear! Bedtime is an excellent chance to make up for this and reconnect. By bedtime we're usually winding down also and any left over work from the day can be put off until tomorrow. So use bedtime to ask about their day, read a story together, or just cuddle on the couch to a favorite show. This quick moment of connection makes bedtime special and helps to end the day on a high note. It is also a chance to air out any hurts or concerns from the day before. Taking a moment to handle those before bed helps start tomorrow off on a better note. So take advantage of this chance to connect and check in before bedtime.

      We know fitting these 5 things into your busy summer schedule is a tall order some days. But we wouldn't advocate for it if we didn't truly believe in the positive power of family time. Life with its infinite distractions and separate schedules has a way of eroding connection. So find those spare moments in-between your daily routine and make the most of them. The benefits are worth too much for us not to make an effort. I mean who of us doesn't want increased connection, understanding, and cooperation in our homes? Building these routines may take some work, but it will leave you more connected, stronger as a whole, and with a heart full of happy shared moments long after your child has grown and begun to spread their wings.

#RaiseAWarrior 

Instructor Spotlight: Mr. Brendon

Mr. Brendon is AWESOME! 

He grew up in our children's program and is still going strong in our adult classes! He is a great example for all of our Little Warriors and his little brother (who is also in our program) on the perseverance, hard work and dedication it takes to be a great Warrior and a Black Belt!

Mr. Brendon strives to teach our Little Warriors:

"To believe in themselves no matter the challenge. We teach them complicated sweeps and throws and I love watching the surprise on their face when it all works perfectly."

The kiddos love Mr. Brendon because:

Because his teaching is full of shenanigans like weird sound effects, combat rolls, and showing off

Because he knows and lives by the principle: learning isn't fun unless your teacher is having fun too

Because he is so silly and finds ways to cheer them on for every single improvement

Because he is always finding ways to teach them their test material plus bonus moves

A few of Mr. Brendon's favorite things:

Mr. Brendon (or Mr. B to his fellow staff) wholeheartedly believes that "a good burrito is the most superior food." This may sound extreme, but Mr. B doesn't do anything half way. He gives 110% in every thing he does and that is one of the things that makes him so amazing. In addition to loving a good burrito, the color purple, 'Baby Driver' the movie, and his sweetheart (who he met here actually. Talk about cute!) Mr. Brendon loves to create art with his drawing tablet and computer. 

A little bit more about Mr. Brendon:

Mr. Brendon just graduated high school and was accepted into the MSU Honor's Society. We are so excited that he is choosing to get his education locally and wanting to continue helping raise Warrior's while he's in school. Mr. Brendon dreams of being a surgeon and traveling the Irish countryside. When asked about his dream super power he wished for "telekinesis because the potential for shenanigans is very high." All in all he truly is a sweet, goofy, and fun loving guy. We also loves that his hero is "my father. He grew up in poverty then managed to come up from it and serve the country, be awarded the bronze star, and continue serving as a Police Officer." That powerful example of leadership and selflessness definitely shows in everything Mr. Brendon does.

Mr. Brendon you're a rock star! 

It's been amazing watching you learn and grow through all these years! 

We love having you back as such a great example and "big brother" figure to our student's. We can't wait to see how far you go!

Some tiny baby Warrior pictures of Mr. Brendon just for fun:

#RaiseAWarrior