Chores: To Do or Do Not?

     When we were growing up chores were the norm. Everyone had a job, no matter the age, and everyone chipped in to make things around the house run smoothly. However, as the demands on our time have socially increased things in the home have changed from generation to generation. Where chores were once required, now in some households they have become optional or merely appreciated. So whether you are on the fence about chores, require them, or prefer to passive aggressively suggest things be done around the house here are some excellent reasons why we think all Warriors should grow up doing chores.

Chores Teach Life Skills

     Yes our children are young, but they won't be forever. Chores are the life skills everyone has to deal with unless they're rich enough to have someone do it for them. You have to eat, you have to have clean clothes, you have to keep up with your car, and you have to have a home. These basic necessities require skilled upkeep. And if we don't take the time to teach them now the college years will be an adjustment. So take the time to teach them the mundane day to day basic life skills they'll need to live on their own and support themselves. Trust me on this one... it isn't always done. You would be amazed how often we have to take the time to show our teen instructors how to change a light bulb or a tire, or plunge a toilet because they've never had too.

Chores Build a Strong Work Ethic

     A good work ethic is required to make it in today's profession driven world. And sadly you either have it or you don't. Chores teach children from a young age that sometimes you have to do your job- whether you feel like it or not. Life isn't going to patiently wait for them to feel like doing their job and neither should you. Don't just appreciate completed chores, require them. Teach them the importance of working hard and taking pride in a task well done. Chores teach a roll up your sleeves, pitch in and get the unpleasant work knocked out for the betterment of the whole group attitude. That mentality really sets you apart in today's workplace and it might just be the difference between working fast food for the rest of their life and shooting for the stars.

Chores Teach Responsibility & Self Reliance

     We want our children to be able to care for themselves when they're older. That doesn't mean we won't always be there for them. We just don't want 27 year old Josh living rent free in our basement without a care in the world. Our job as parents is to work ourselves out of a job so to speak. If our kid's are incapable of caring for themselves and managing their own lives without interference than we have seriously failed somewhere. Chores is where we teach them those first skills in cleaning up after themselves. Chores gives us a tool where they learn to take responsibility for the tidiness of their life and things. It also gives us a method to install lessons like you have to work hard to get to play hard. Life doesn't just hand our children their dreams on a silver platter and neither should we. They're going to have to take responsibility for their future and the things they want, and they're going to have to rely on their skills and talents to make it to the top.

Chores Foster Team Work

     We spend our entire life a part of, contributing, and supporting various teams. Whether you're supporting family, friends, a work team, sport's mates, etc we all have a role to play in the give and take of the teamwork circles in our lives. Since our families are the first team we are a part of it truly is the safest place to learn these valuable skill sets. So use chores to teach your Little Warrior that everyone's role is important. Use chores to teach them how team mates help each other. Use chores to teach them that surrounding themselves with a strong team makes their life better. Teach them to help other's when they're having a hard time. Teach them to cooperate when things change and to teach other's patiently. These skills will carry them into the work field, relationships, and beyond so take the time to instill them carefully.

Chores Reinforce Respect

     Most of us don't truly appreciate our parents and all they did for us until we've moved out and it's all up to us. Assigning chores opens their eyes to this a little sooner. It helps them appreciate all you do for them before they're adults and off to college. It also instills a sense of kindness and respect for their impact on others. I may not have to clean up this mess because it isn't my assigned duty, but chores allow me to see that if I am inconsiderate it makes your job harder. Chores also teach us to respect and care for the things we own. I was told to clean my room countless times as a child. My mom could have done it for me, but I wouldn't have learned to value my belongings without having accidentally stepping on and breaking my favorite toy in my disaster of a room. Those lessons stick with you and help you care for things like a car, an apartment, a work space, a family, and a home as you grow.

     So whether you're a family that expects or appreciates chores take a moment to consider whether your Little Warrior and you might benefit from a little time on task working around the home. Seems to us it could make a world of a difference!

#RaiseAWarrior 

Instructor Spotlight: Miss Tabi

Miss Tabi is AWESOME! 

She started training with her dad in our adult program and her passion for working with children quickly made her a rising star among our Summer Camp Instructors! We're excited that she will be staying with us and helping us raise Warriors through out the school year.

Miss Tabi strives to teach our Little Warriors:

"To put a smile on their face and never beat themselves down no matter what has happened."

The kiddos love Miss Tabi because:

1. She is super sweet and loves to make everyone's day awesome
2. She knows that hard work has to be balanced with giggles, high fives, and fun
3. She is full of energy and gets super excited about current super heroes or Disney movies

A few of Miss Tabi's favorite things:

      Miss Tabi loves birds! Her family has several and she recently got a crazy little bird named Emmie who loves to talk, be heard, and make other people's day brighter. Sounds a lot like Miss Tabi right?! In addition to a near obsessive love of birds, Miss Tabi loves to train here at Warrior's Way, play softball, tease her brother, read, and swim. With her fun loving attitude and happy heart it is not difficult to see that her favorite shows are Friends and the Office. 

A little bit more about Miss Tabi:

      Miss Tabi (or Miss Tally since 'B's are hard and it has kind of stuck in our kids classes) is currently going to school to be a nurse like her mom. Miss Tabi's favorite part of working at Warrior's Way is being around the kids. She loves their energy and the fun they bring into her daily life. After seeing her interact with our Warrior's it's no surprise that Miss Tabi dreams of being a pediatric nurse and bringing brightness to little one's days for the rest of her life. Miss Tabi's hero is actually her dad because "he's such a strong willed individual and always pushes me to do my best." We love that she brings that same attitude out onto the mat. She truly does love our Little Warrior's and want to make them better.

Miss Tabi you're a joy to have on the mat! Keep being you and brightening everyone's day. You set an amazing example for all our Warriors!

#RaiseAWarrior 

Getting Your Warrior Back to School Ready

     Summer is coming to a close. And the relief that back to school time is finally here is all too real for parents after a busy summer with our kiddos. We're excited, but we also know it can be a very frazzling time for us. Our jobs keep us to a mostly stable routine regardless of the season, but our kiddos have been spoiled by the lazy days of summertime. To kids summer often symbolizes a relaxation and break from routines. While it's great that they're having a chance to just be a kid, without a gradual transition back into our school routines back to school becomes a battle of obstinate wills. However, it doesn't have to be this way. Initiating our back to school morning and evening routines (before they're actually needed) truly does make a difference. I know that setting up and instilling these routines may seem like an obstacle as summer comes to a close, but they're actually a teaching opportunity. Routines are so much more than a tool for getting everyone out the door on time or going to bed at a decent hour each night. Not sold on the idea yet? Here's some psychology backed reasons to make routines a part of daily life in your home.

Routines are an example:

     We aren't born naturally gifted in self management. We have to be taught to prioritize tasks, problem solve, and organize our time to make the most of each day. Kids especially need patience and direction in this area as it takes several years for these skill sets to fully mature and develop. While we are working on teaching them these forms of self mastery routines can help. Routines are external rules and guidelines that set the example for how our lives should be run. They help keep order in your home while you child learns to internally regulate and have self discipline over their daily desires, wants, and needs.

Routines make your child more independent:

     Well built routines quickly become habitual which allow us to act automatically. I mean think back to the last time you brushed your teeth. Did it require any thought, energy, or decision? Or did it just happen like it does every morning and evening? Routines are great because they allow a child to start their day without a lot of decision or thought. This is especially useful since adding sleepiness and grumpiness to their already growing brains makes even the simplest of tasks an insurmountable obstacle. Routines fixes that problem. And as it becomes easy and they master these beginner routines they become more independent and grow more confident in their ability to achieve and manage their life. Even the most anti-morning of us can survive any given day with the help of a good routine to buy us some productive time while we work on the process of waking up.

Routines help us cope:

     Life is full of disappointment, surprises, and more curve balls than we care to count. Some changes like the death of a family member, a move, or a new school can be quite traumatic to anyone let alone a child. Returning to a sense of normal after life's hardships is the goal toward finding happiness again. We cannot shelter our child from all the things life might ask of them. And we shouldn't try too. Established routines help a child cope in more than one way. Routines are comfortable and gives a child a sense of inner safety and control amidst the change and chaos these life events cause. And anything that helps bolsters our child's resiliency is a practice worth the extra effort.

Routines are the foundation for success:

     As adults we are required to prioritize, work hard, and meet deadlines regularly. And we know that sometimes things have to be done whether we feel like it or not. It takes a lot of patience and self discipline to do the things we know we have to first. Routines are the first step towards learning these vital life skills. Routines teach us efficiency and organization. It also helps you develop habits of self care, dedication, and hard work. These characteristics are like a muscle. When we require them to master increasingly difficult routines they are learning to overcome their self and are practicing vital warrior traits that will steer them towards success.

     So there you have it! When you make a child go to bed or get up on time, consistently practice hygiene, or an instrument, or any other health conscious or goal oriented behavior you're doing so much more than making the transition back to school easier. You're setting them up for success by building the skill sets they need to accomplish whatever they want in life. So enforce those routines. And keep crushing it Warrior parents!

#RaiseAWarrior 

Raising Confident Children: A Warrior Parent's Guide

     Raising kids in our technology saturated culture has brought a wealth of new parenting problems for us. Today not only do our kids still have to be healthy, respectful to others, attentive in school, busy with sports or other extracurricular activities, a good friend, and a civil family member; BUT in addition to these already daunting tasks we want them to have a sense of confidence, in themselves and their abilities to handle life's curve balls. That's a lot for any kid (or parent). Add the detrimental effects that social media can have on our youth's confidence and we have a real challenge on our hands.

      So how do we bolster our child's confidence in the safety of our home before social media's pressures tries to tear them down? We know it's not an easy task because across the board confidence is the lowest scoring Warrior attribute on the Courtesy and Respect forms you turn in for belt testing. So here's a Warrior parent's guide to Raising Confident Children. No one is going to take the time to build your little one's confidence like you can. So give these easy steps a try and watch your kiddo's confidence shine.

It starts with us:

      No one likes to make mistakes, but they are a fact of life. A miserable part of it, but a fact none the less. And we all respond to mistakes differently. Some of us become timid afterwards. Some of us get sulky and emotional. Some of us get angry and try to place the blame elsewhere. Many of us go on the defensive. No matter your knee jerk response to risk and failure take a moment to think about what it says to your child. What are our reactions teaching them about trying new things, expanding their horizons, and never giving up? Yes the milk is spilled and it is super inconvenient, but what does our child learn about independence if we blow up? Are we a part of the reason why they're afraid to try new things and take on greater responsibility? Our knee jerk response is rarely the best parenting response. Raising a Warrior takes conscious thought and active awareness so if our child is struggling with something we have to first look at our role in this difficulty.

Name what is strong:

      We are quick to correct our children. It's kind of in the job description as parents. And while telling them "No you can't hit that's mean" and "Please chew with your mouth closed. People don't want to eat with a slob" are important lessons they only show the bad. When we focus on what's wrong we are giving our child words to describe themselves when they make mistakes. They begin to think of themselves using the words we use to describe their behavior. So instead of constantly focusing on what's wrong try to consistently reemphasize their strengths. Yes they may have slipped up and said something mean, but overall they're a very helpful child 90% of the time. Praise that strength! Give them positive words to describe themselves and their behavior. It goes a long way towards shaping their outlook of themselves and their capabilities for the better.

The power of the word "yet":

     Kids are going to mess up and they're going to get frustrated and want to quit. That's how it feels sometimes and that is okay. So where do we parents come in? We don't want our kids to feel that feeling down after a mistake or defeat is unnatural, but we also don't want them to grow up believing that quitting and taking the easy way out is acceptable. So how do we help them grow through these mistakes and setbacks? It's important that we empathize with how they feel while still encouraging them to keep trying. We've found the secret to accomplishing both these tasks is to emphasize the powerful and optimistically hopeful word "yet."

It's okay that they haven't mastered that spin kick yet because they're a hard worker and we know they'll be able to if they keep trying. 

It's okay to not be picked as class president yet because they're a good friend always and that will help them be more understanding in the end. 

It's okay to not be able to swim without floaties yet because they're already so big and working on being brave as they ride a bike without training wheels. 

     Focusing on the word "yet" allows us to acknowledge their feelings and put the focus on current successes or things that will help us get there.

Celebrate every step:

     This may be the cheesiest step, but it is ever so important. You are learning and growing together as a family. Every risk taken or fear faced is a part of our journey and a chance to grow. It's okay to celebrate the little things because it's those little first and often doubted steps that lead to all the biggest changes in our life. So celebrate those uncertain and sometimes unsuccessful steps. They're paving the way for some truly great things.

Keep it up Warrior parents! We think you're all rock stars!

#RaiseAWarrior