Back to School while attending Martial Arts
We know school is coming up in the next couple weeks, and for a lot of parents this time can be a bit overwhelming. We decided to put together a checklist to help, because one of a family's greatest challenges is to establish comfortable, effective routines. Here are a few tips (and remember, you have permission to take a time out for yourself too).
1. Visit the School or Classroom Before the First Day
This is especially important if your child is returning to in-person learning after periods of remote learning, or if your student is moving to a new school this year. If your child's teachers do not invite families to visit ahead of time, you can still take a trip to the school to see the building and the playground. If this will be your first season with W1, feel free to connect with us on social media before your classes begin so you can keep up to date on activities and upcoming events.
2. Talk to Your Child About Their Feelings
Social-emotional learning (SEL) refers to the ways in which children build healthy relationships with themselves and with others. This framework of self-awareness can begin at home, and it's a great tool to use when learning about your child's thoughts on school, friends, teachers, and new activities. Discussion topics include what they're looking forward to (friends, sports, learning subjects), any concerns they might have (bullying, making new friends, teachers, schedules, or hobbies), and reading together as a way to start the conversation.
3. Set Intentions With Your Child for the School Year Ahead
Just like adults make intentions for the new year, students can do the same for the new school year. Try picking a word of the month, such as friendship, discipline, or kindness, to keep everyone on track. Parents can then use this word to start conversations at home about their child's classroom experience and progress. This can be especially important if it's the first year your child will be attending school and participating in an after school activity like taekwondo.
4. Go School Shopping
Designating items as "back to school," like an outfit or backpack, makes preparing for the school year a ritual and can spark excitement. School shopping can be an annual tradition with the intention of starting anew and resetting your child's mindset.
5. Encourage Your Child to Pursue a Passion Project This Year
Ask them what topic they really want to learn about in the school year ahead. This opens up another opportunity to create excitement around learning, and it could be anything from an art project to a musical instrument or something they use for a talent show. Here at W1 we suggest focusing that extra energy into advancing your taekwondo skills. Having a sport with a built-in structure of milestones and targets will definitely help keep them on track. Why stay a white or yellow belt, limited to basic kicks, when you could be blue, red, or black?
6. Ensure a Good Workspace Is Available
As most of you remember from the remote learning experience, it's imperative nowadays to have a good setup for your child, just in case they end up learning from home again, even temporarily, or need a good place to work on projects or homework. Having a separate space helps separate "school time" from free time and can help your child mentally. If you also intend to practice your martial arts at home, setting up your gear in the garage or any open space you have available is an excellent way to get them excited for the year to come.
7. Review Your Schedule Before the Chaos Begins
There isn't a cookie cutter answer, and everybody will have different routines, but one way to do this is to keep a calendar with dates and times listed in a central location in your home where your children can view it. It's also a great practice to set those times up in your phone's calendar with alerts and reminders, especially if you have multiple activities with multiple children. We suggest reviewing these items first thing in the morning to keep it fresh in everyone's mind. We also know logistics can be tricky when planning the martial arts schedule. Some families train together, parents and kids, which is a fabulous way to do it. Use your children's enthusiasm to motivate you. Keep in mind the only way to achieve success, especially in martial arts, is to be consistent and show up even when you don't want to.
How to Maintain Taekwondo Commitments in This New Year
As most of you know, martial arts isn't a seasonal sport; it's a long term commitment to improving one's self. Taekwondo yields much greater rewards than just belt ranks. Children do best when routines are regular, predictable, and consistent (and so do adults). Scheduling times for homework, chores, and practice before fun and play teaches kids the importance, and rewards, of hard work first.
It's important to remind them that class only takes 30 to 40 minutes, and if they need additional encouragement, try inviting their friends to join in with them. It's usually recommended that beginners practice two to three times a week, though more advanced students will likely practice three or more times a week, especially if they're looking to advance to a higher level. Be sure to make those expectations clear so they understand the commitment level, and plan outside activities around that to ensure they keep making progress.
