Category: Parent SKILLZ®

In a world that highly values the traits of extroverted individuals, shy children are often assumed to have something wrong that needs to be fixed. However, shyness is simply a personality trait that is part of their temperament. Children are born with unique personalities, although the environment can play a significant role in how these […]

Be the parent your child needs you to be. They need you to be in their world. That means interacting and playing with them on their level to prompt them through the tasks and chores they don’t want to do. Here are some tips and examples on using effectively using edutainment with your child. 1. […]

“Know where your child is in his or her stage of development physically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially so that you can understand what’s developmentally appropriate.”   Do you ever feel like you can read your child’s mind? You know what they are going to do or say next because they have had the same reaction […]

“Look at mistakes as opportunities for education versus punishment.”   Being a nurturing parent means adjusting your child’s behaviors, not trying to change them. In other words, change the behavior, not the child.   Let them Know that Mistakes are Okay Address your child’s mistakes in a nurturing way to help them learn and grow […]

“The times when children are most responsive and happy are when they are most connected with their parents.”   One of the most important things that you can do as a parent is establish a connection with your child. In fact, children need connection more than anything else. Here are a few ways that you […]

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it has taught us to slow down and appreciate the moments we have with our loved ones. On the flip side, it has also caused some additional stressors for parents as they have had to play the role of teacher while also fulfilling their work demands. And as […]

Parents are an essential element to their child’s success in anything. The enthusiasm and support, or lack thereof, of a parent can make or break a child’s accomplishments. In SKILLZ martial arts, it is even more essential that parents be involved as part of the teaching team since the SKILLZ system applies child development and […]

The news can be full of scary stories and information, especially for children. Our current situation has brought about even more concern for everyone in the world. If adults are feeling panicked, imagine how children must be feeling. And no matter the age, children can be emotionally affected by the news and begin feeling anxious […]

Getting children to behave how we want them to can be tricky. Even with the best intentions, parents often fall short regarding enforcing positive behaviors in their children while also extinguishing negative ones. Understanding reinforcement schedules and strategies for implementing them can be beneficial to parents and create positive behavior outcomes and improve the parent-child […]

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The holidays are for celebrations, togetherness, and relaxation. It’s a magical time and all the fun activities, shopping, and baking keeps everyone busy. With all the excitement comes a great deal of preparation and scheduling. It’s easy for parents to get caught up in it all and […]

All parents want their children to exhibit positive behaviors that will help them transition smoothly through the different stages of their development. While parents have the best intentions, they often don’t use the most effective discipline strategies to achieve that goal. Granted, parents do their best to implement the knowledge and experiences that they have […]

With the holiday season in full swing, families everywhere are struggling to make suitable plans for the pandemic. While our typical holidays are full of family gatherings, parties, and many other busy events this year, the pandemic has put a damper on our holiday traditions and, instead, increased our stress. Although our regular events are […]

Becoming a parent is, for the most part, an exciting adventure to undertake. Along with this, however, comes an enormous amount of responsibility. And while most feel prepared, others may experience anxiety and uncertainty about how to begin this journey. But no matter what, parents ultimately want to raise their children to the best of […]

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season, this year, maybe a little less intense but, no doubt, still exciting. While holiday parties may be missing from our typical December schedules, the pandemic can’t stop the spirit of the season! Decorating the house, wrapping gifts, and baking goodies will keep the joy alive. Ultimately, just […]

On any given day, we may experience moments of high emotion in reaction to an event, or we find ourselves trying to control everyone and everything around us. Either way, our mental well-being is in danger, especially if we find ourselves stuck in either scenario for long. It can be difficult for children to get […]

What is one of the key factors to your child being successful and learning positive behaviors? In our 6th Parenting Skillz we discuss that factor.  It is consistency. Your child needs to know that no matter what happens, you are always going to be a consistent parent.  Maintaining consistency means that you are going to […]

In our 5th post in the Parent Skillz Series we address the concept of Edutainment.  It is well known that when we learn something we best understand it and concretize it in our knowledge when we play with it.  Men will play with their work shop tools, women will play with a new hair style, […]

Prompting for Success Our 4th part in our parenting skillz series asks the question, “How can you set your child up for daily success?”  One of the most effective ways to do this is to focus on prompting instead of punishment.  Here’s what you need about prompting your child toward good behavior and decisions: 1. […]

Patience As we continue our 8 part parenting skillz series, our 3rd post begins by encouraging you to take a few extra seconds when responding to poor behavior.  This demonstrates compassion, empathy, and self-control on your part.  Sometimes all you need to do is think about responding in the most patient manner to help re-direct […]

This is the second part of our Parenting Skillz Series. Attunement Do you ever feel like you can read your child’s mind?  You know what they are going to do or say next because they have had the same reaction before?  This is attunement.  Improving your attunement skills will allow you to create a more […]

This is the first in a 8 part series of posts focusing on parenting skillz. One of the most important things that you can do as a parent is establish a connection with your child.  In fact, children need connection more than anything else. Here are a few ways that you can begin to build […]

Choosing a martial arts school has always been a guessing game for most parents. Unless they have prior experience, to them, any style is coined “karate” so deciding on the best place is purely a guess. Parents generally look for a school that teaches punching and kicking, emphasizes discipline, and builds confidence. And while many […]

Today’s world is busy; people are rushing here and there to get to work, school, the store, or the next activity. Even our “leisure” time is filled with busyness. And during all of it, we are distracted by our devices. This not only leads to us missing important moments in our lives, but it also […]

Adolescence has always been a challenging time for parents and teens to get through. Typically, this is because adults feel teens are lazy and/or out of control. However, these behaviors are usually present because teens feel uninspired and lack the right motivation in their lives. And while the development of the brain hasn’t changed, the […]

As digital learning has become a widely preferred alternative for school, children everywhere are now “required” to be on devices in the wake of the pandemic. This is quite a change from the screen time limits that parents have attempted to enforce for years. Now, allotting time for school online, connecting with distant relatives via […]

Throughout the past four months schedules have been upended and downtime has taken over. However, as the new school year gets underway, reality is going to show up and we are going to be scrambling to get ourselves and our children back on a productive path. In the book “The 7 Habits of Happy Kids” […]

Over the past few months, interactions have been minimal, and our social skills are rusty. Since prolonged school closures have a negative impact on children’s social development, we are now faced with how to regain skills while moving forward with new skills. Though some children will return to a brick-and-mortar school, others will virtually engage […]

As back to school plans continue to change almost daily, children’s emotions will remain unpredictable. One day they are thinking about returning to their friends and teachers at school, and the next, they are told they won’t be returning for another few months. Because of this, our children’s emotional needs have never been greater. While […]

It is becoming more and more apparent that no one is to blame for everything that happens. So, if this is the case, how do we get ourselves in such turmoil if no one is responsible? Although this seems ridiculous, the use of “blame-shifting” has become the go-to way of justifying mistakes. When we have […]

In today’s world, there is an overgrowing focus on “me” and less on “us.” This “all-about-me” emphasis has led to a lack of empathy, which, in turn, results in more and more conflict. The primary reason for this…people do not listen. Their focus is on their own agenda, and they are not open to really […]

As the world continues its reopening efforts, more and more parents  are headed back to work. And while this is a positive sign, it leaves parents with the task of finding their children a fun, yet safe, program to spend each day at. Since summer camps are unable to provide some of the usual daily  activities […]

Parents have always served as the first, and typically, the most important role model for their children, even though family members, teachers, and coaches have a significant impact on a child’s development as well. However, in the wake of the pandemic, these people have had less of a presence in children’s lives which ultimately left […]

Raising a child can be one of the most rewarding jobs around. While it’s exciting to watch children grow and develop into caring humans, parenting definitely brings about it’s fair share of challenges. Fast forward to 2020 and we are now faced with parenting during a pandemic which presents with even more difficulties. To make […]

For years, parents and children have been faced with the dreaded summer slide, a time when the school year ends and summer learning loss begins. As if it wasn’t detrimental enough in it’s own rights, this year the summer slide has been accelerated by the COVID slide and trauma related to the pandemic. The reality […]

As we continue to navigate the unchartered waters of the current pandemic, many are looking to the future and what it holds. While it’s hard to predict how long our current daily life modifications will last, what we do know is that the experience of this trauma will have personal changes that could last for […]

For the past two months, we have been asked to socially distance ourselves from others in order to stop the spread of COVID-19. We’ve put most of our “normal” daily living routines on pause and created a secluded environment for ourselves and our children. While many things are in a holding pattern, one thing that […]

We are all human and our responses to our current situation vary. Some have hunkered down and sorted through their new reality in a way that has motivated them to complete tasks and put new goals in place. Others have become increasingly overwhelmed and feel like they have no control over their lives at all. […]

As the pandemic carries on, our coping skills are starting to unravel. For many people, this has become the ultimate emotional test. As we continue to maintain our distance from each other, not only have our social lives been halted, but our emotional support is wavering as well. While we have been living this reality […]

Remember when you wished the weekend would last forever? As weeks of the “shelter in place” order have passed, the eagerness for some “time off” has lost its spark. Children’s boredom is growing day by day and will continue, especially as many schools will be ending the school year earlier than normal. The rising monotony […]

With our country at somewhat of a standstill due to the current pandemic, it’s easy to get into a routine that is more laid back. Anything from going to bed late to increased screen time, habits may start leaning on the unhealthy side. And one of the major behaviors that appear when we are in […]

Stress is a significant part of our lives today. And while we all experience it, children and teens have a more difficult time managing it. Academic pressure, social tensions, family stressors, etc. all impact a young person’s mental well-being. For this reason, it’s important for parents to help their children develop coping skills by guiding […]

We live in a competitive world and most parents would jump at the chance to give their child every advantage imaginable. The world can also be unkind and, as parents, we feel a need to protect our children from everything possible. Yes, parents are supposed to help and protect their children but when does supporting […]

As hectic as life is most days, parents are often more concerned with getting everything done instead of strategically planning out their day so that it is predictable for their children. Knowing what activities to expect each day and knowing how parents will respond at the moment is critical in helping children feel safe. The […]

As we know, children can lose control of their emotions for various reasons, and the behaviors we witness are generally unplanned. Since anxiety can look like defiance, adults often respond in counterproductive ways. When children are stressed, the amygdala, in the downstairs brain, is triggered, and the “fight or flight” response takes over. This hijacking […]

Is it nature, or is it nurture? That is the question. This age-old debate, in the world of psychology, has been a source of controversy for decades. At some point, all parents have toyed with thoughts of which one has most influenced their child concerning personality traits, abilities, etc. While different psychology fields have distinct […]

Goal setting is a characteristic that significantly links an individual to their future success. Having the right mindset is crucial and encourages our behaviors as we encounter different challenges. Since our mindset incorporates our own beliefs about skills and abilities that we possess, we must have a growth mindset and teach children the power of […]

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Shopping for gifts, decorating the house, baking goodies, attending parties, visiting family…there are so many fun and exciting things to do. With all these wonderful events, who wouldn’t be happy all the time? Unfortunately, children and especially children with any type of sensory processing disorder. Therefore, parents […]