An Activity Your Kids Will Get a KICK Out Of!
The instructor stressed the importance of being a “first time listener”. Oooh, I like the sound of that…A FIRST TIME LISTENER. So now, when my son pretends not to hear me when I ask him three times to put his toys back where they belong…I now tell him he’s NOT being a first time listener…like the man at the party asked you to be. And you know what? It works. He’s really starting to get this “first time listening” thing down. And when he starts to misbehave, all I have to say is, “The instructor is going to be very disappointed…”At least, for once, I’m not the bad guy! “Use me as the bad guy.”says Master Instructor Andrew Stigliano, of United Martial Arts Center, (www.united-karate.com) located in Port Jefferson Station. Andrew Stigliano is passionate about martial arts, and all the positive benefits that kids experience during class. What will kids learn by participating in martial arts? The list is long. According to Stigliano, his program will help kids with bullying problems, non-conflict resolution, building self-esteem, interpersonal confidence, physical fitness, motor coordination, strength and discipline. His credo: BE FAST, BE FIRST, BE LOUD! This is one way he instills some positive reinforcement to kids of all ages, while stressing principles that are extremely helpful to parents. FAST: doing things quickly and with confidence. At the United Martial Arts Center, family values are strongly stressed, which is good news to parents who may be scratching their heads when it comes to discipline. The one selling point with an activity like this, is the amount of fun that kids have doing it. Martial arts promotes all kinds of great learning tools, but most of all, kids have a blast doing it. They make friends in the classes and are really only competing with themselves. No sitting on the bench, or feeling unworthy. Finding the right school, and instructor is very important. You have to get out there and do some research, and evaluate what you as a parent need in a martial arts school. For instance, UMAC makes it very easy on parents who may be hesitant in signing up their kids. Two problems parents face when it comes to martial arts are 1. commitments and 2.contracts. With a crazy, hectic schedule, contacts and heavy, long-term commitments are often on the minds of parents. This school strives to take some of that stress away by offering an unlimited class policy. Parents can choose the days that are most convenient. If you suddenly have an appointment on Tuesday, no problem, come Thursday instead. “If you can make it to class twice a week, GREAT.” says Stigliano. “If you can make it to class three times a week…even better!” There are also some other cool aspects of this school that make it appealing. There are “Buddy Days” where kids can bring their best buds to a class, and special times when the whole family trains free. For parents who aren’t sure if their kids would be good candidates for martial arts, they’re entitled to a free trial class, and evaluation (For more information on the United Martial Arts Center, call: (631) 474-0844) You can also let your fingers do the walking on the Internet or in the yellow pages to get the phone numbers of schools in your area. Take a trial class and ask some questions before signing on the dotted line. From the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", to Bruce Lee, so many kids get a kick out of martial arts. Fun-- with a touch of some good old family values…how can you beat that? Janene Mascarella
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When I recently attended my nephew’s 6th birthday party with my kids, I returned home with a valuable parenting tool. It was a “karate party”, and mixed into the fun and celebration, was a terrific discipline device. This was my son’s first introduction to martial arts, and within minutes, I knew it was an activity for my kids worth pursuing.