Concentrate not on the eradication of evil, but on the cultivation of virtue. Evil is not driven out, but crowded out. –Martin Luther King Jr. I found this quote back when I was in college. The concept it expresses has stuck with me over the years and had a big impact on choices I […]
Behavior
A Strategy For Managing Your Child’s Screen Use
I’ve written on this blog before about screen use and its impact on children. The inspiration for this has been twofold. First, observation of students in our martial arts school. I have noticed in recent years that children with behavioral issues and difficulty with focus often engage in frequent and regular use of screens. Since […]
Should Your Child Do Random Acts Of Kindness?
Most people understand what “antisocial behavior” is. The term brings to mind loners (people who avoid social connections) or people who actively seek to hurt others. The opposite of this is “prosocial behavior”. This refers to behavior that seeks to benefit other individuals or society as a whole. Doing things like helping, sharing or being […]
Your Child Is Not Smart Or Athletic!
A common theme of my articles—and central to our approach to teaching at Traditional Martial Arts Academy—the concept of fixed- versus growth-oriented mindset. Understanding this theory, and how to apply it, is essential for teaching children how to be successful in their efforts in all things, as well as for cultivating grit and healthy self-esteem. […]
Teaching Your Child Honesty
Truth appears to be in decline. Even the meaning of the word “fact” seems to be open to debate. In a society where those in positions of authority and prestige are increasingly comfortable with not only deception, but blatant—even comical—lies, we find ourselves drowning in a sea of untruth. It can be very disorienting. And […]
It’s Time to Celebrate Your Child’s Failure!
In a series of articles on cultivating grit in your child, I discussed the concept of growth vs. fixed mindset theory. Boiled to its essence, this theory tells us that when a person is presented with a difficult task, they often see the challenge in one of two ways–either it is an opportunity to learn, […]