WIN AN OFFICIAL ACTION INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT MEDAL!!!
Calling all photographers and videographers who are coming to watch the tournament! Your job is to take a great picture and/or video of your favorite tournament competitor. After the tournament, upload your video to youtube and post a link on Action Karate’s official facebook page and/or post your photos to Action Karate’s official facebook page. The pictures with the most “likes” and videos with the most “views” will win an official Action Karate gold, silver, or bronze medal! The contest starts the day of the tournament (10/15/2011) and ends one week later (10/22/2011) at midnight. The winners will be announced Monday October 24!

Don’t take candy from strangers. It’s an age-old adage that you probably heard from your parents and have parroted to your kids. How strange, then, that we should dress them up in costume once a year and send them out into the neighborhood to do just that.

While trick-or-treating is a quintessential part of being a kid, it can be a bit scary for parents. By following a few simple safety rules and sharing them with your children, you can make sure everyone has a fun and safe Halloween.

The first thing to consider is avoiding any accidents, particularly when it comes to your child’s costume. Even though you and your child may be concerned with how the costume looks, you also want to consider how it feels. Choose a comfortable costume that is easy to move around in and is weather appropriate. If you live in a cooler climate try adding layers under the costume, that way it still looks great but your kids stay warm.

Make sure your children’s costumes aren’t too long so that they don’t trip over them. Try to avoid costumes that trail on the ground, like long capes, which can become stuck on branches, decorations, or other costumes. Make sure the costumes are flame-retardant.

Try to choose a costume without a mask or use makeup instead where possible. If the costume does have a mask, make sure they eye holes are large enough for your child to see clearly and that the mouth and nose holes allow him to breathe freely.

If you’re child’s costume is dark, use reflective strips, glow sticks or flashlights to make sure passing traffic can see him. If your child is carrying a prop as part of his costume, make sure it is flexible to avoid injury if your child falls.

Obviously it is easier to keep track of your child’s safety if you are with them, but if your child is old enough to go trick-or-treating without adult supervision you’ll want to make sure you lay down a couple of ground rules.

If your kids trick-or-treat without an adult, make sure they stay with a group. There is safety in numbers. Know where they are going. Map out a general route for where they will be trick-or-treating so you know where they will be. Tell them to stay in well-populated areas, and avoid taking shortcuts through parking lots, backyards, and alley ways.

Generally when a house doesn’t have lights or decorations on outside, they are choosing not to give out candy. Tell your children not to trick-or-treat here because the residents may get annoyed if people keep ringing their bell.

Just because it is Halloween doesn’t mean all rules should go out the window. Make sure your trick-or-treaters follow all the rules they would normally, like not accepting a ride from strangers, staying on the sidewalk, crossing the street at crosswalks, and obeying traffic laws. Children should not go into anyone’s house unless accompanied by an adult.

It’s a good idea to set a curfew for your kids. A general recommendation is to have all trick-or-treating done by nine o’clock. For younger children it may even be a good idea to try to get all the trick-or-treating done while there is still some daylight outside. This leaves the rest of the evening for fun Halloween activities or parties, or just going through the loot to see what treats they’ve collected.

Make sure you go through the candy with your kids. Allow them only to eat factory-wrapped treats, avoid anything homemade unless you know the cook, and keep an eye out for tampering or choking hazards.

Contributed by Solomon Brenner Author of Black Belt Parenting “the art of Raising your child for success”. Master instructor for Action Karate. Master Brenner does a limited amount of speaking for parents and students on achievement

For more info Call Solomon Brenner  215.355.5003 or scan the QR code

“Our son participated in the tournament this past Saturday and we were amazed at the skills he has learned through his Action training.  He presented himself in a confident way despite his anxiety about performing, and received two trophies for his performance.  We’re thrilled that he learned confidence, presentation skills, and discipline and was rewarded for his achievement. We plan to participate in as many tournaments as possible.  Thank You!”

            Anne O’Brien- Mother of Connor O’Brien Age 7

Though Halloween, like most holidays, promises fun for all, your approach to this day of tricking and treating should vary depending on the ages of your children. For young children, Halloween might still be too scary. For older children, it may not be exciting enough. It’s important to remember the different needs of different age groups to ensure that everyone has a fun night.

            It’s exciting as a parent to watch your child enjoy new experiences, especially when it comes to special occasions or holidays. Even though young children may not be going out trick-or-treating on Halloween, there are lots of ways for them to join in the fun.

            Younger children should be taken trick-or-treating in the afternoon for several reasons. Firstly, there are less people out and therefore less of a chance of them being frightened by a scary costume. It allows you to keep a better eye on them since there is less of a crowd and it isn’t quite dark yet. Not only that, it allows other people and cars to see them better, thus avoiding an accident. Also, waiting too long to take young children trick-or-treating might make them cranky since they go to bed at an earlier hour than older children.

            When your kids are too young to help you carve the pumpkin, there are still ways to let them participate in this tradition. Let them draw the outline of the face you are going to carve later. Then they can watch as the face they’ve made comes to life. You could avoid the carving altogether and let them paint whatever they want on the pumpkin. This way they create a piece of art that might be too big for the fridge, but fits just right on the front stoop.

            Your child might not take too well to Halloween. It is, after all, the spookiest day of the year. He might not understand why his older sister looks like a scary witch or where all the regular kids have gone. If this is the case, you might want to save the trick-or-treating for next year and instead snuggle up with a good movie and a bag of homemade goodies to share.

Older kids take a different approach to the holiday. Halloween is the time of year for them to play practical jokes or tricks on their friends and family, from scaring the wits out of their moms to convincing their little brothers and sisters that they really did grow an extra eye overnight. While most of this is simply fun and games, sometimes the tricks of Halloween can get a little out of hand.

October 30, often known as “mischief night” is infamous for acts of vandalism meant as jokes. It’s important for your kids to know the difference between joking and vandalism, especially when it involves other people’s property. Egging someone’s house may seem like a fun idea to them when it is first proposed, but when an angry neighbor calls mom or dad the kids should be the ones paying the consequences. They need to learn responsibility for their actions, even if they weren’t meant to do anyone harm, and clean any mess they have made or damages they have caused.

There are plenty of other ways to have fun around Halloween. Try organizing an event like a haunted hayride for the night before Halloween to keep your kids out of trouble. If they feel like they have outgrown trick-or-treating, consider having a small Halloween party for them and their friends. Consider some activities like bobbing for apples or a costume contest. This way they are having fun and staying out of trouble.

Contributed by Solomon Brenner Author of Black Belt parenting and Master Instructor of Action Karate.  For more info call 215.355.5003 scan the QR code

Competition is a fact of life! In the hands of the right people, with the right attitudes competition can be a positive, character-building experience. It provides one of the best opportunities for children and adults to come in contact with rules and social values. It defines the need to get along well with others and be accepted as part of a team. It plays a prime role in promoting values such as tolerance, fairness and responsibility.

It’s a brand new school year, and with it comes a brand new chance to start fresh and have a successful year. Now is the perfect time to break bad study habits and start developing new ones. The more value you place on your child’s education and the more interest you take in it, the better chance he has of doing better in school.

For children, each school day has it’s own routine, and that structure shouldn’t change once the bell rings at three o’clock. Establishing a regular homework routine will not only help you child get more done, it will also keep him focused and allow for more care-free hours once the work is done.

When you schedule homework time will vary on each child. Some children are more productive right after school, when they are still in work mode. Others benefit from a break or a snack between school and homework. Find out what time works best for your child and make that study time for everyday.

Setting a defined study time not only helps your child be more productive, but it also means that he’ll be able to complete assignments and study in smaller increments, rather than procrastinating and doing everything the night before it is due, or studying entire chapters of material the night before the test. Eliminating procrastination habits now will help him through his schooling in the years to come.

In addition to a defined time, you should also have a defined space in which your child can study. TV, radio, phones, and games can be major distractions, and will end up causing your child to spend longer on the work than he would have if he had been able to work uninterrupted. Having their own space to do schoolwork helps children stay focused.

If your child keeps an assignment book, look it over to make sure he completes everything on the list, especially with younger children. Helping them stay organized means fewer forgotten assignments and more time to study for upcoming tests.

Look over your child’s homework. Know what they’re working on, and ask questions about it. Let them teach you what they learned in school. Stimulating conversation about the material can help a child better retain the information. If they can talk about it, they know it.

Resist the urge to ever give your child the right answer. Ask questions that lead them to the right answer, encourage them to check their own work, but don’t do it for them. No one is going to send them to the gallows for a wrong answer. As long as your child learns from them and corrects them next time, mistakes can be a vital part of education.

Homework can be really frustrating, especially if your child is struggling with certain material. There is no teacher to ask for help or clarification, so it is your job to be there for support. Let your child know he can always ask you for help if he needs it. If your child becomes frustrated to the point that his struggles are counterproductive, suggest he take a break and return to the work later.

Send the message that learning isn’t just for school. Ask questions and exchange ideas around the dinner table or while relaxing in the evening. Always encourage your child’s imagination and creativity, no matter how outlandish some of their ideas might seem to you. Read together or separately. Arrange weekend trips to sites or museums that relate to what they are learning in school. Show by example that learning isn’t just for kids, but is a lifelong process.

Contributed by Solomon Brenner author of Black belt Parenting. “the art of raising children for success”  master instructor of Action Karate

for more information comment here, call 1-888-99-SHARK(74275), or email us actionkarate@comcast.net

Bullying is an increasing problem in today’s society, and as a parent you may have thought about what you might do if your child was ever bullied. But have you ever considered the other alternative? How do you react when your child is the bully?

If someone tells you that your child is a bully or you witness it for yourself, it can come as a huge shock. It is natural to feel like you need to defend him or his behavior, or even get angry that another person would accuse him of bullying.

It is important, however, to stay calm and objective. It is important to look at the facts of the situation and try to understand how to correct it, and getting upset will impede your ability to do so.

If another parent tells you that your child is bullying theirs, they are likely to be upset, which is even more reason for you to keep your cool. Hear them out and try to discuss the issue calmly. Assure them that if your child is behaving like a bully you intend to do something about it.

Don’t lash out at your child, either. It may be a complete misunderstanding. You need to try to understand the situation from the point of view of everyone involved, including your child. Figure out a plan before you address the problem with your child. Hear them out, have an open conversation and don’t jump to conclusions.

The first step once you’ve ascertained that your child is bullying others is, of course, discipline. It’s important not to get angry, but rather stress the reason for the punishment and what he could have done differently.

The punishment will depend on the severity of the bullying, the age of your child, and the situation in which the bullying took place. For example, if your child was sending mean messages to someone online, ban them from using the computer for anything but school for a period of time.

Whatever punishment you deem appropriate for your child, make sure it is consistent and that your child knows what the consequences for future bullying will be. Make it very clear that this behavior will not be tolerated.

There can be any number of underlying reasons that lead your child to bully others. Bullies often have insecurities or low self-esteem and so pick on others to make themselves feel better. Sometimes bullying stems from a lack of social skills. Your child gets upset or angry and doesn’t know another way to handle these emotions. It could be a lack of empathy that leads your child to bully others; he doesn’t think about how his words and actions make others feel, or doesn’t know how to handle people who look, speak, or act different from him.

If it’s insecurity that turns your child into a bully, try helping him find a hobby or activity that he enjoys and excels at. The confidence he gains from this will help him feel better about himself and lessen his need to pick on others.

Talk about alternative behaviors that your child can use instead of bullying. The next time he gets upset or angry because things don’t go his way, encourage him to just walk away rather than reacting aggressively. Praise him when he chooses to avoid confrontation rather than bullying.

If your child picks on someone who is different from him, discuss the ways in which everyone is different, but we all have feelings and deserve to be treated with respect. Ask him how he would feel if he was the one being bullied.

Most of all, create an environment free of aggression and hostility. Don’t allow your children to bully each other at home, and don’t allow destructive criticism. Ask teachers, the school counselor, or the principal for help with dealing with your child’s aggressive behavior.

For more info to avoid all types of Bullies call 1888-99SHARK

 or visit actionkarate.net   

I watch the ripples change their size

But never leave the stream

Of warm impermanence

So the days float through my eyes

But still the days seem the same

And these children that you spit on

As they try to change their worlds

Are immune to your consultations

They’re quite aware of what they’re going through

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

(turn and face the strain)

Ch-ch-changes

Dont tell them to grow up and out of it

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

(turn and face the strain)

Ch-ch-changes

David Bowie

 

 

There is one word in the English language that scares people more than Jason from Friday the 13th popping out from behind the couch. It is only one syllable, yet adults run and hide from it. Webster’s dictionary defines it with only three words, yet it sends shivers down our spine. What word could contain such power in only six letters? CHANGE!

 

In 1492 Columbus proved that the earth was a sphere, and all records were changed to reflect that. Right? Wrong! The entire generation had to die off before it became it became accepted. By the early 1900’s it still took 50 years from invention of any superior product to market domination in the industrial world.

 

Today we live in a much faster paced world. It was only 5 years from the introduction of CD’s until the death of the LP album. Clearly we have become much better at accepting change. Right? Wrong! It still scares us, I think Mark Twain put it best when he said “The only person who likes change is a wet baby.”

 

It is said that “knowledge is power,” so next week I will empower you with the reasons we fear change so much because it is hard to develop a great attitude unless you are willing to……CHANGE!

 

ASAH

for more information comment here, call 1-888-99-SHARK(74275), or email us actionkarate@comcast.net

Just because someone fails, it does not make him a failure. Teach your children to acknowledge all of the success and knowledge they gain from failure. If they learn from it, they have valuable experience, and that is a small success in itself.

One rarely learns how to do something on his first try. In fact, some things take years or even a lifetime to accomplish. But your children will never succeed if they give up. A failure should not be the end of the road, but one checkmark in the list of things to do before reaching success, which is the very last step. If you teach your children to think of their failed attempts as progress instead of failures, they will build the self-esteem needed to persevere in their goals.

            Thomas Edison said, “I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is just one more step forward.” Of his failed attempts at the light bulb, he said, “They taught something that I didn’t know. They taught me what direction to move in.” For Edison, failures were just learning experiences. Teach your children not to look at failures as roadblocks, but rather as signposts. They don’t block your way to success; they just show you which way to go to reach it.

            If you teach your children at a young age to persist even when they feel like they will fail, you are setting them up for a life of success. If they don’t try, it’s true they won’t fail, but they also won’t succeed. We only get one life. If we spend it being afraid of failure we will never reach our full potential.

            Everyone has heard the age-old adage, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” It may be cliché, but it rings with truth. Think about experiences you’ve had in life where this is true. Maybe you didn’t get the first job you applied for, or maybe you struggled with a certain subject in school. If you didn’t keep trying, you never would have gotten a job or passed your classes. Sharing these personal experiences with your children when they experience failure can help them realize that failure is something everyone experiences at one time or another; it is simply a part of life.

            Dealing with failure is all about having the right attitude. It might even help your child to avoid using the word failure altogether. We don’t fail, we just find alternate routes to success. If your child fails a test in school, it’s an indication that he needs to change something about the way he approaches the material. Maybe he needs to pay more attention in class, change his study habits, or get a tutor. Just because he gets a bad grade in math doesn’t mean he’ll never succeed at it; it just means he needs to change the way he goes about achieving that success.

            The worst thing any of us can do is give up. Giving up is far worse than failure. At least if you fail, you can say you tried. You can find another way to succeed, even if that means many more failed attempts. If you never try, you never know what you are capable of. You end up with a life of “what ifs”: “What if I had applied to college?” “What if I had taken that job?” “What if I had tried out for the basketball team?” You don’t want that kind of life for your child. You want them to look back on a life that yes, may have been full of small failures, but has also been full of valuable experiences that lead to success.

This article is written by Solomon Brenner Author of Black Belt Parenting and Master instructor for Action Karate. For more information comment here, call 1-888-99-SHARK(74275), or email us actionkarate@comcast.net

You know that life isn’t perfect. You can’t get everything you want all of the time. You know this because you have experienced disappointments in your life that have made you stronger and helped you improve. You children, on the other hand, do not know this. To them, it is the end of the world when they don’t make the football team or get a role in the school play. It is your job to teach them how to turn disappointments into opportunities.

            Don’t look at obstacles as problems. Look at them as challenges to be met on the way to reaching your goal. If your son doesn’t make the football team, help him practice for the next tryouts coming up. Working through these challenges is what helps your children personally mature and develop.

            This thought can even be applied to things they don’t like doing in everyday life. Instead of looking at homework as a burden, help them see it as an opportunity to learn. It might help if you talk about the millions of people in the world for whom education will always be out of reach. Talk about the opportunities they will have in life because they received an education. Whether they want to be an astronaut, a professional athlete, or a rock star when they grow up, education will play an integral part in their success.

            Sometimes you have to deal with disappointment to get something you want. For example, I’m sure your kids want to grow up to be big, strong adults. If they ate ice cream and candy all day and sat around playing video games, they couldn’t mature into healthy grownups. Next time your child is crying because you won’t let him get ice cream from the truck before dinner, or won’t let him buy his favorite candy while you’re at the store, remind him how important it is for him to be big and strong.

            Some bigger disappointments are harder to handle, but with the right attitude you can help your child turn disappointment into success. If your child is sad because he didn’t make the football team, maybe that’s an opportunity for him to try another sport or activity that he never considered before. He might end up liking soccer or drawing way more than he ever would have liked football. That disappointment that seemed huge at the time could lead to something even better than what he originally wanted.

            By helping your child cope with small disappointments now, you are conditioning them to deal with larger disappointments later in life. If your child is used to getting his way all the time, if you as a parent bend to his will because you want to see him happy, it is only hurting him in the long run. A child who gets what he wants whenever he wants it won’t know how to handle the disappointment of getting rejected by his dream college, not getting the job he wants, or getting his heart broken. A child that doesn’t know how to handle disappointment will grow into an adult who is ill-equipped to deal with the challenges of adult life.

            Because we want our children to be happy and give them everything in life, it is sometimes hard to tell them no or watch them deal with disappointment. By looking for the opportunities each disappointment presents instead of wallowing in negative feels about what he feels he lost, your child will grow to understand that life is full of lemons, but it’s up to him to make the lemonade.

Contribute by Solomon Brenner  author of black belt parenting and Master instructor of Action Karate. For more information comment here, call 1-888-99-SHARK(74275), or email us actionkarate@comcast.net