This month at American Family Martial Arts our students are studying the character word: SELF-DISCIPLINE. Parents and teachers both overwhelmingly agree that self-discipline is one of the most important skills anyone can have – yet relatively few believe they’ve been successful at helping their own children demonstrate it. However, it goes without saying that children can and will learn self-discipline if they are exposed to an environment that nurtures this very skill. 
All this month in our karate classes, American Family Martial Arts students are learning why self-discipline is good for their everyday life. They’ll also learn how to develop self-discipline skills in a fun and entertaining way.
You can help by reinforcing self-discipline at home. If you lead by example your child will follow. Below are some tips on how to compliment the lessons American Family Martial Arts is teaching about self-discipline this month:
- Remember that self-discipline and discipline go hand in hand. When disciplining your child keep in mind that discipline and punishment are not the same. Discipline is about guiding children in ways that support their development on self-control. Read this American Family Martial Arts blog on the difference between the two: click here
- Catch your child showing self-discipline at home and praise them for their efforts. Catch them when they do things without being asked, like
- making their bed
- brushing their teeth
- clearing the dinner table or taking out the trash
- gathering their dobak & belt for class at American Family Martial Arts
- Give your child opportunities to apply self-discipline by giving them some new age-appropriate responsibilities. Psychotherapist Amy Morin says chores at the house can help children develop a sense of mastery and accomplishment. Here’s a chart to help you out:
- Demonstrate self-discipline yourself. Make sure they see you cleaning your room, making your bed, treating others with respect, etc. Here are some tips on developing focused self discipline: Six steps to developing self discipline for adults This could also be a good discussion topic for you and your child.
Thank you for your support and we look forward to watching our youthful students build the skill of self-discipline!
If you would like to see your child with more self-discipline, just click below!
