Tips To Get Your Child To Class
As the owners of a martial arts school, one of the most common things we hear from parents of students is: “They really fought us getting to class today,” or “It’s been a struggle getting them here lately.” Here are a few tips to help out getting your child to class!
Tip #1: What are they doing when you tell them to get ready for class? Are they outside playing with friends, are they playing a video game or watching their favorite movie? Children live in the moment. That means, even though they know they will have fun in class, they are already having fun, so they feel no need to switch activities. What can you do to make class sound more inviting? About 15-20 minutes before you are supposed to leave, have them help you with a chore around the house: picking up, doing the dishes, sweeping or vacuuming. When it is time for class they will be far more motivated to get in the car to go have fun than they will be to stay and continue cleaning.
Tip #2: This is a little bit harder because it involves some self-reflection on the parent’s part, but how do YOU act when it is time for class? Are you excited and happy to be leaving for class or are you stressed and annoyed to be getting back in the car? Children easily pick up on whatever their parents are feeling, so make it an enjoyable task to be taking them to class.
Tip #3: Set up a rewards system. If they are ready to leave on time and do well in class, then they get a star or a sticker. Once they have reached an agreed upon amount, (5 or 10 stars) you can stop after class and get a treat, or they can have extra TV/video game time. Any reward works as long as it is something your child enjoys. This not only motivates them for good behavior before class, but during class as well.
These are just a few easy things you can do to help make your life as a parent easier, as well as set up good behavior patterns for your child as they get older. These tips don’t just work for martial arts class, they can be applied to any activity that has become a struggle when it is time to get ready! Try these out and let us know your results!