Category: Family

Welcome Spring! The powerful promise of new beginnings is once again upon us! Outside our front doors, the clear blue skies with warm, golden sunshine, emerging green grass, budding trees, and blossoms all welcome us to a new season of play, joy, fun, laughter, and precious memories just waiting to be made. Spring is such […]

You may be wondering why you need to develop a good work ethic in kids. Does it mean you’re going to make them work at a young age? Definitely not! What this article will tell you is that it’s important to establish a good work ethic in your kids at an early age. With this, […]

Have you ever taken a moment to truly admire the art and incredible beauty of watching a child at play? Their fully engaged spirit, drive, imagination, and passion are all completely vested in the mission of the moment. Whether tinkering with their next greatest creations or saving the day as their favorite superhero, children demonstrate […]

We need sugar to survive since it is an essential source of energy. However, too much sugar intake is not ideal. When asked what might happen if you eat too much sugar, the common answer will be “having a toothache”. But it can result in worse situations. It can lead to more serious health problems […]

Ghosts, Goblins, and Witches, oh my! Halloween is such a fun time of the year for children, but when children encounter tricks instead of treats, this holiday can become very scary – and not just because of the decorations and frightening costumes. Abductions, bullying, candy that has been compromised; are all things that can make […]

Martial arts has a well-known benefit of helping children develop physical skills and improve self-discipline. For this reason, parents often enroll their children in some type of martial arts in order to achieve goals such as these. And while attaining these goals is possible, parents often have unrealistic expectations of the time it actually takes […]

Bullying is a huge problem in many schools, and it can be scary to think about what’s happening at school. Especially because you’re not around your kids when they’re being bullied or if they don’t talk to you about their day. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything we as adults can do. This article […]

The past year and a half of school have been such a tumultuous ride. From school closures to virtual classes to partial reopening, it seems as if our children have experienced every out-of-the-norm scenario we could come up with. And although the goal was to keep them safe, children’s development took a significant hit. We’ve […]

In a world that highly values the traits of extroverted individuals, shy children are often assumed to have something wrong that needs to be fixed. However, shyness is simply a personality trait that is part of their temperament. Children are born with unique personalities, although the environment can play a significant role in how these […]

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, the […]

Self-improvement is a never-ending process. There will always be something new to learn and change about ourselves. With that said, it can be difficult for parents to encourage their kids to try new things, face their fears, or just do better than they did the day before. They may just need a little push to […]

Children’s challenging behaviors have long been the focus of adults’ pessimistic viewpoint of characteristics that don’t fit the mold of societal expectations. This rigid “deficit thinking” causes parents to complain about their child’s qualities and make them try to “fix” what is wrong or make excuses as to why they can’t do certain things. However, […]

As we navigate the world, we all use our senses to receive input from our surroundings, let our brains process, and then tell us how to react. Generally, we respond with minimal disruption to our routine. However, processing sensory stimuli can be a challenge for some people, either because there is too much or not […]

Although Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is such a prevalent diagnosis, there are still many misconceptions surrounding it. People often assume that ADHD results from poor parenting, laziness, or some learning disorder. And with these assumptions come a wide range of approaches to “fix” the problem. However, with the lack of proper understanding of this disorder, […]

Children of all ages have fears, from babies to teens. And whether these fears are from real or imaginary places, they are nonetheless scary. Since our brains are wired to protect us, fears are a normal part of a child’s development. Children will eventually outgrow fears but being knowledgeable about what fears are more common […]

Filling Your Child’s Emotional Cup Over the years, healthy connection levels between parents and children have decreased, leading to more challenging behaviors from children. Today’s modern lifestyle has interfered with the opportunity for the parent-child bond to grow. This vital aspect of a child’s life is essential for their emotional cup to be full, giving […]

Most often, when we think of implementing structure into our children’s lives, it is because we have a newborn that needs a feeding schedule, a toddler that needs a nap schedule, or a child that needs an activity schedule. When children become teens, they are often left to implement their schedules. And yes, they are […]

Implementing Reinforcement Schedules Getting children to behave how we want them to can be tricky. Even with the best intentions, parents often fall short regarding enforcing positive behaviors in their children while also extinguishing negative ones. Understanding reinforcement schedules and strategies for implementing them can be beneficial to parents and create positive behavior outcomes and […]

When you think of martial arts, one of the first things that probably comes to mind is self-defense.  Yes, martial arts are great for the body, but also for the mind.  There are undeniable benefits from hitting the gym every day, but the monotony of the treadmill or elliptical can lead you to stop showing […]

Every kid needs exercise and time to play, but kids who learn and think differently can have a hard time finding sports that fits them well.  Unlike most sports, Martial Arts are focused on an individual’s personal growth, rather than comparison to others. This makes Martial Arts a great outlet for children in general. Particularly […]

Understanding Behavior Modification Reinforcement Vs. Punishment 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, we often don’t use the most effective discipline strategies to achieve that goal. And granted, as parents, we do our […]

With the holiday season in full swing, families everywhere are struggling to make suitable plans for the pandemic. While our typical holidays are full of family gatherings, parties, and many other busy events this year, the pandemic has put a damper on our holiday traditions and, instead, increased our stress. And although our regular events […]

How Attachment Styles Affect Classroom Behavior All children have their own unique way of interacting with the world around them. And while much of this is contributed by their temperaments, the degree of emotional nurturing plays a significant role. This essential piece is how attachment is formed. The emotional bond between a child and their […]

Holiday weight gain is a common concern for many adults. Various season holidays may encourage over-eating., sedentary behavior, and consumption of calorie-rich foods. In fact, between mid-November and mid-January, adults gain extra weight that they are not able to lose. The holidays may be one of the biggest contributors to your total annual weight gain. […]

For young children and teens, Halloween is one of the “FUNNEST” times of the year! But Trick or Treating can come back to haunt you if kids and parents aren’t careful. Take a look at these vital Safety Tips before you send your kids off to spooky streets and haunted houses. These tips will help […]

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it has taught us to slow down and appreciate the moments we have with our loved ones. On the flip side, it has also caused some additional stressors for parents as they have had to play the role of teacher while also fulfilling their work demands. And as […]

Adolescence has always been a challenging time for parents and teens to get through. Typically, this is because adults feel teens are lazy and/or out of control. However, these behaviors are usually present because teens feel uninspired and lack the right motivation in their lives. And while the development of the brain hasn’t changed, the […]

As digital learning has become a widely preferred alternative for school, children everywhere are now “required” to be on devices in the wake of the pandemic. This is quite a change from the screen time limits that parents have attempted to enforce for years. Now, allotting time for school online, connecting with distant relatives via […]

The Key to Deeper Human Connection In today’s world, there is an overgrowing focus on “me” and less on “us.” This “all-about-me” emphasis has led to a lack of empathy, which, in turn, results in more and more conflict. The primary reason for this…people do not listen. Their focus is on their own agenda, and […]

As the world continues its reopening efforts, more and more parents are headed back to work. And while this is a positive sign, it leaves parents with the task of finding their children a fun, yet safe, program to spend each day at. Since summer camps are unable to provide some of the usual daily […]

❤️First, students and parents, I’m SO grateful for your patience, support, and commitment to our program during this closure. From a business standpoint, my mindset through this whole ordeal has been… this is just a blip. BMK opened in 1998 and we plan on doing business for many more years, and so 2-3 months is […]

The recent closures of schools and businesses are widespread and have led to major disruptions in the daily routines of families. Children are trying to adjust to doing school at home and parents are now trying to balance their new work from home life with their role as teacher to their children. To cope, it’s […]

As the pandemic carries on, our coping skills are starting to unravel. For many people, this has become the ultimate emotional test. As we continue to maintain our distance from each other, not only have our social lives been halted, but our emotional support is wavering as well. And while we have been living this […]

The news can be full of scary stories and information, especially for children. Our current situation has brought about even more concern for everyone in the world. If adults are feeling panicked, imagine how children must be feeling. And no matter the age, children can be emotionally affected by the news and begin feeling anxious […]

Ghosts, Goblins, and Witches, oh my! Halloween is such a fun time of the year for children, but when children encounter tricks instead of treats, this holiday can become very scary – and not just because of the decorations and frightening costumes. Abductions, bullying, candy that has been compromised; are all things that can make […]

Family time is important for a variety of reasons. However, family time does not have to involve electronics in silence. There are plenty of activities families can do together that will be enjoyable and bring all members closer together. Here is a look at 3 activities that could bring your family closer together.   Martial […]