Kindness, courage, and respect. Yes, Ma’am.  Yes, Sir.  Karate.  My boy recently started karate lessons and his first test – for the coveted white belt – was a smashing success.  So of course it this week’s Healthy Highlight!  For those of you that have tried to find the right activity to help bring confidence to your child, you’ll appreciate my enthusiasm.  We found it!  Karate is the answer to our son’s bashful tendencies.

This is not my first brush with martial arts.  I participated in a highly competitive taekwondo club during my college years, and there I found my profound respect for the martial arts.  One of the numerous things I appreciate is the ability to excel in different areas, but all within the same sport.  It allows confidence to be built in the early years: whether it is memorizing new words and what they mean, learning responsibility  (including short lessons about picking up the mats and toys in the gym, which I highly recommend applying this at home!), or learning basic respect that has faded so quickly in various parts of society.  In the martial arts, it is all yes ma’am, no sir, and Mr. and Ms. only.  Yet, you also get time to scream while you punch a pad, crawl like a crab, and learn to follow directions that require concentration.  It’s a great workout and fun – good for body and soul. And, like with most physical activities, at the end of the day your reward is a good, relaxing night of sleep.

Our daughter is also mesmerized by it, and she isn’t even taking lessons.  She is watching so intently, and then comes home and demonstrates her own front kicks and back fist punches.  Right now, she just wants to sit and watch the lessons, but I give it six months before she’ll be out on the mat with the loudest ki-aah of ‘em all.

So how about you? What brings out the best in your kids and feels rewarding, both physically and mentally?