Blog

Hey Columbia – Waterloo parents! As summer comes to a close and the new academic year beckons, we know you want your child to thrive, not just in academics, but in all spheres of life. Martial arts, often misperceived as merely a form of self-defense, is a comprehensive system that nurtures qualities indispensable for school […]

    All parents want their children to exhibit positive behaviors that will help them transition smoothly through the different stages of their development. And while parents have the best intentions, they often don’t use the most effective discipline strategies to achieve that goal.  Granted, parents do their best to implement the knowledge and experiences […]

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, family stressors, etc. all impact a young person’s mental well-being. For this reason, it’s important for parents to help their children develop coping skills by guiding […]

Children’s challenging behaviors that don’t fit societal expectations have long drawn adults’ negative attention.    When parents complain about their child’s negative qualities the focus changes to trying to “fixing” what is wrong or making excuses for the negative behaviors. This negative attention hinders them and contributes to low self-esteem. As they say, “We are […]

  Parenting can be tricky. We want our children to be resilient, empathetic, and able to self-regulate. However, with the busyness of life, the experiences that build these characteristics fall by the wayside, and “no” becomes an automatic response. Children are continually being told what to do and what not to do. As a result, […]

  Over the last year, sports programs have had shortened seasons, if any at all. Because of that, training time for athletes of all ages has dropped significantly. Now, with sports returning to a more normal duration, young athletes are working hard to regain lost skills and recondition their bodies. The problem, however, is that […]

Over the past year, children have faced many disturbances in their daily lives and interactions. These things have contributed to a lot of emotional imbalance and brought on or exacerbated feelingsof sadness, fear, and anxiety. Since children are still developing abilities to regulate their strong and ever-changing emotions, they need assistance in strengthening these skills. […]

Let’s face it, conflict is hard and is bound to happen no matter what ground rules are put into 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 is why conflict resolution […]

Parents have always served as the first, and typically, the most important role model for their children, even though family members, teachers, and coaches have a significant impact on a child’s development as well. However, in the wake of the pandemic, these people have had less of a presence in children’s lives which ultimately left […]

As we continue to navigate the unchartered waters of the current pandemic, many are looking to the future and what it holds. And while it’s hard to predict how long our current daily life modifications will last, what we do know is that the experience of this trauma will have personal changes that could last […]