My son was having some difficulties with attentiveness in kindergarten, and frankly, I wanted to have something for both of us to do to stay fit as well. I’ve both read and heard enough about the benefits of martial arts training to encourage better self-monitoring and general behavior with younger kids, so I thought I’d give it a try. In the spring of 2015, I signed my then-5 year old son and myself up for a 4 or 6 week trial at Villari’s Martial Arts in Newington, and it turned out to be a great decision.
Not only did my son’s teacher see a noticeable shift in his behavior over the weeks that followed, but my wife and I also noticed the lessons he learned in the studio affected his behavior at home, too. Sure, progress was slow and steady, but it was encouraging to see him building that forward momentum and growing to understand how he could be more respectful to others, demonstrate better self-control during stressful or frustrating situations, or be more self-disciplined about chores at home and tasks at school. We’ve also noticed he just seems to be a little stronger and doesn’t get tired out as easily – good for his little growing mind and body! Needless to say, it was an easy decision to start our little spitfire of a 4 year old last month, as Master Gray, Mr. Gagnon, and the rest of the instructors do an excellent job of providing a healthy, constructive, and safe environment for our kids to learn, grow, and have fun. We also really love that they also have a variety of community building events such as Laser Tag Nights, Parents’ Night Out, and other events for the kids (and adults).
And for whatever it’s worth, I have to say I’ve really grown to enjoy going to class each week. It’s a great opportunity to mental “clean the slate” and focus on something other than the stressors of the work day, and it’s gotten me into much better shape than I was in before I started about 10 months ago. If you’re thinking it over, definitely give Villari’s at Newington a try!
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