At my martial arts studio we speak often of “black belt focus,” being entirely present in the moment. Black belts don’t continuously dwell on the past or worry about the future; their main concern is the present moment. They have the ability to focus completely on what they are doing.
Achieving this kind of focus comes naturally when doing something you love. The problem many children have is focusing on something they don’t enjoy, like homework. The key to focus is to teach your child to give the same attention to something they do not like that they would give to something they like.
When your child is stuck on a hard homework problem, ask him what he would do if the homework were a video game. How would he get past this level? Would he let his attention wander, maybe go get a snack, or pick a different game?
No! He would try again and again. He would find out what he had to do and how to do it, without letting other things distract him. He can use this same focus to help him complete his homework.
This increased focus not only benefits your child, but also you! Shanel Jones’ son Damon is a student at my martial arts studio. She says that Damon “really enjoys class and teaching his family members how to protect themselves. Because Damon is more focused and listens, parenting is easier.”
Learn more at
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Belt-Parenting-Solomon-Brenner/dp/0974630802/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-7396940-6424000?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1173459223&sr=8-1
