The impact of bullying on a child can be severe, both emotionally and academically. Bullied children may experience sadness, anxiety, and fear and have difficulty concentrating in school. They may also have difficulty sleeping or eating and may have low self-esteem. Bullying can also lead to absenteeism and poor academic performance; in some cases, it […]
The weather is getting nicer by the day, and your child is feeling the call of the wild! Unfortunately, at the same time, school success is becoming more dependent on your child’s ability to focus as reviews and finals are quickly approaching. Mother Nature’s draw on your child’s attention, sometimes called “Spring Fever,” is powerful, […]
3 Steps To Help Your Shy Child Build Confidence One of the top reasons parents bring their children to SKILLZ of Patchogue is to help with building confidence. Parents will often say things like, “My child is shy, so I want to help them with social interactions so they come out of their shell.” While […]
“She Has Such An Attitude!” It is very easy to let our emotions define a child. Because we are in a hurry, a child stating their desires suddenly turns into a battle of wills. We are not in the best state of mind, are focused on other things, and before we even realize it, […]
Kids love ninja classes at a SKILLZ child development center. The mix of age-specific martial arts themes and powerful child development lessons makes for a fun yet educational experience. Parents love ninja classes because of the results they see in their children’s physical, intellectual, emotional, and social growth while on the mat. But what happens […]
“Dear Proud Ninja Parent, On my hard days, remember I am small. When tears run down my cheeks and I don’t even know why, remember I need you to grab a tissue and dry my teary eyes. When something happens that I didn’t expect and I yell, scream and fuss, remember even in my anger, […]
Have you ever taken a moment to truly admire the art and incredible beauty of watching a child at play? Their fully engaged spirit, drive, imagination, and passion are all completely vested in the mission of the moment. Whether tinkering with their next greatest creations or saving the day as their favorite superhero, children demonstrate […]
SKILLZ of Patchogue is proud to announce that we have been nominated in the Bethpage Federal Credit Union’s 2022 Best of Long Island contest in the category of Education / Learning Centers! Brain Training for Ninjas SKILLZ is a revolutionary concept in age-specific child development training that uses martial arts and other movement modalities as […]
Pediatric Performance Anxiety: Helping Your Child Try New Things In my role as an instructor for SKILLZ of Patchogue and lead consultant for SKILLZ Worldwide, I have the opportunity to speak with a lot of parents about their concerns for their children. As a parent myself, understand that parenting can be tough at times, especially […]
Coloring has been a favorite activity for kids since kids have been a thing! The first child likely used mud to create wonderful works of pediatric art. The best part is that coloring is also a great tool for spurring development. (Want to download a free martial-arts-themed coloring book for your child? Scroll to the […]
Over the past five 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” […]
As we continue through the current pandemic and re-opening efforts present real challenges, school districts everywhere are trying to devise the best plans for children, teachers, and staff to return. While there will be no perfect solution for each family, parents must consider all the information and choose the option that works best for their […]
Our new Life Skillz program starts this week! Each month, kids will participate in weekly age-specific discussions on the character traits that will help them become even more amazing ninjas. We will be starting the series learning all about CHARISMA! (Trouble seeing the image? Click here for a pdf version of this month’s Life Skillz […]
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. And while we have been living this […]
For a child, being stuck at home can get boring quickly! While we know that boredom is actually one of the key drivers of creativity in kids, it can also be challenging for children and parents alike as kids struggle to cross the line from complaints to imaginative activity. Hopefully, this coloring sheet will help […]
With schools and other activities closing due to the coronavirus outbreak, many parents are finding themselves filling the roles of teacher, coach, guidance counselor, and hall monitor as the kids try to continue their studies in the home learning environment. The first few days were likely an exciting new adventure, but as we continue to […]
Let’s face it, conflict is hard and is bound to happen no matter what ground rules are in place. Whether it’s on the playground or right in our own homes, children will clash. And while it can create challenging situations, it is a normal event that occurs between children. This inevitability is why conflict resolution […]
Being a nurturing parent means adjusting your child’s behaviors, not trying to change them. In other words, change the behavior, not the child. 1. Let them Know that Mistakes are Okay I get excited when my son makes a mistake because it gives me the opportunity to teach him, which is what parenting is all […]
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, and family stressors can all impact a young person’s mental well-being. For this reason, parents need to help their children develop coping skills by guiding them […]
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. And yes, parents are supposed to help and protect their children, but when does […]
The New Year has arrived, and many of us have set lofty resolutions. Anything from working out daily to saving money to losing weight, our society knows how to dream big! However, when we don’t break big dreams down into smaller, achievable goals, failure often ensues. And to make matters worse, our children watch us […]
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 keep everyone busy. And with all the excitement comes a great deal of preparation and scheduling. It’s easy for parents to get caught up in it all […]
We’ve all heard of the main 5 senses: taste, touch, smell, sight, and hearing. However, there are two other, very important, senses that don’t get enough attention. Those are the vestibular sense and proprioception. These two senses are vital in the development of a child but are often overlooked, especially in today’s world. This is […]
As they say, kids will be kids. And yes, children and teens can be unkind to their peers and feelings get hurt. The problem is when these behaviors become common and target the same person repeatedly. This is the point at which the idea “kids being kids” begins to cross the line to bullying. And […]
Oppositional Defiant Disorder A Supplemental Resource for Families Coping with Oppositional Defiant Disorder All children act out from time to time. However, children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), as defined by the Child Mind Institute, “have a well-established pattern of behavior problems that are more extreme than their peers.” Children with ODD display aggressive behaviors […]
When we think of human behavior, we often first focus on the problems or deficits that people have and how this affects their achievements, or lack thereof. Rarely is the first thought of what motivates someone and how to utilize that to help them grow and develop. Abraham Maslow’s development of the “Hierarchy of Needs” […]
Realistic Behavioral Expectations What to Expect from 10 to 14-year olds The tween and teen years often feel to parents and teachers like they are back at the “terrible twos” stage. The challenges of working with children at this age can be frustrating. They are very smart but their emotions are all over the place. […]
Realistic Behavioral Expectations What to Expect from 7 to 9 year olds The golden years for children are between the ages of 7 and 9 years old. At this age, children can grasp new information quickly. They start seeing the world in a new and exciting way and, because of this, they are beginning to […]
Realistic Behavioral Expectations What to Expect from 18-36 Months Children between the ages of 18 and 36 months are at an exciting growth period in their lives. Parents and caregivers observe leaps and bounds in the development of these children and are excited to see all their skills progress. However, as with any growth, there […]
What to Expect from 3- and 4-year olds Children between the ages of 3 and 4 are at a very unique growth period in their lives. They are growing at a rapid rate in all areas of development and are discovering new things daily, while also learning how to cope with new challenges. Additionally, they […]
Hey 4GK Friends and Families! Here are some great tips on the Parent SKILLZ topic: PATIENCE. As we posted earlier this week on Facebook, “A few seconds can make a BIG difference…” Sometimes as parents we respond with too much anger, and that can be harmful and cause regression in our child’s behavior. When you […]
When many of us were coming up in the martial arts, we learned about the power of praise when working with kids. In fact, I was handed a piece of paper by my Sifu that was entitled “100 ways to Praise a Child” He simply handed it over and said, learn these, then use them in […]
As seasoned Pediatric Ninja Specialists, we have witnessed just about every sort of behavior and outburst from working with hundreds of kids over the years. We have seen it all from playful name calling to angry tantrums. Some things are hard to not take personally, but our experience allows us to put things into […]
Science has proven again and again how digital screens, the specific types of light they emit, and the content our kids consume on them, can be highly addictive and have negative impacts on behavior, learning, mental health, and sleep. A big part of this is the way they stimulate the brain’s production of the happy […]
Good behavior is a learning process for children, and we are their roadmap. Children usually behave per their own emotions and impulses. At the same time, being a parent is also a learning process and sometimes we rely on our own emotions and impulses to teach. Usually, that means we divert directly to punishments when […]
The C.O.A.L. Method – 4 Quick and Easy Steps to Dealing with Children’s Negative Behaviors Guest Post By Jennifer Salama When it comes to parenting, emotions can run high. When children act out negatively, parents often become frustrated quickly and react by trying to fix the behavior immediately by yelling, punishing, etc. However, this approach […]
Guest post by martial artist, childhood development specialist, and Skillz creator, Melody Johnson Adaptability Adaptability is about how you respond to your child, especially when things do not go as planned. Your child will have a variety of great days, bad days, and everything in between. Here are a few ways you can apply adaptability […]
Young martial artists learn many lessons in class that go far beyond kicking and punching. In fact, many of these skills can be used outside of the martial arts school! For example, our Basic Skillz ninjas learn about Teamwork in their class, and this is one lesson our ninjas can definitely use at home. You […]
Guest post by Skillz creator and childhood development expert Melody Johnson. 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 […]
Kids are not naturally self-motivated. When your child’s mindset is not in the right place, even the most fun activities can be a struggle to get to. With that said, here are some strategies to help you work around a lack of motivation when trying to get your kid to class. 1. Be attentive to […]
As we posted last week on our Facebook Page, “Be the parent your child needs you to be.” Children hardly ever embrace the concept of learning in the same way that we as adults think of the process. As a parent, this can be very frustrating because our primary role is to teach children skills […]
25 Tips to Help Foster Holiday Gratitude The holiday season can be a frenzied time of shopping, presents, and sugary foods. It is important that we help our kids navigate the whirlwind of temptation and indulgence by helping them to learn about gratitude, and why we actually celebrate holidays. A strong sense of gratitude has […]
As we posted last week on the SKILLZ of Patchogue Facebook Page, “Setting your child up for daily successes is easier than trying to punish poor behavior.” To help with this, we wanted to share some great tips on the Parent SKILLZ word: PROMPTING. (For a more in-depth look, be sure to watch the video below) […]
Summertime is coming to an end, and with that comes all of the back-to-school anxiety and jitters that are common amongst children. Your child may experience common physical effects of anxiety associated with back-to-school time including symptoms from stomachaches to sleeping problems. They will also experience emotional stress from the fear of making new friends, […]