Afterwards, it dawned on me that karate lessons might be just the thing for him to try. I've been thinking the last few months that it might be time to get him involved in an organized sport or activity, so this idea came at the perfect moment. I did a little research and now, a few weeks later, we just finished with his first lesson. I am absolutely confident that we picked the right thing for him to do. He was so proud and excited to be on the mat with the other kids, practicing kicks, hits, and of course his "HIYAH!" But being the mom, I'm more excited about the imporant values he's learning - how to behave in a group, how to listen to adults, how to show respect by always looking people in the eye and answering "yes ma'am/yes sir", how to follow instructions....wow, the list just goes on and on. I really admire the disciplinary aspect of Karate and what kids learn while still having fun. It's like vegetables - we don't have to tell them that it's actually good for them. And, Nicholas wasn't the only one who got to have some fun. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of sitting on the bleachers and watching him do his thing. He wasn't the least bit hesitant about getting involved, although you could tell he was carefully watching the other kids trying to learn just what he was supposed to be doing. Neither of us can wait for next week when we get to do it all again!! You should have seen his sad face when he walked off the mat after it was over. He didn't understand why it had to end and asked at least 100 times if we would be coming back soon. I assured him that we most definitely would!
Modeling his new uniform. It's not the traditional type but he's in love with it anyway.
No belt yet. That will come after he finishes his 3rd lesson.
Making new friends...
Working his way through the obstacles.
Nail biting concentration...
This is AWESOME!
ReplyDelete