Category: Uncategorized

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Dr. Seuss   “Going, going, going… ALL. DAY. LONG!”   Oh the years of 5-6! Abounding energy at a level that could power New York City, as my husband and I often joke about our youngest, […]

  Quiet Parenting Stopping the Cycle of Yelling   Parenting can be one of the most rewarding responsibilities we ever take on. With that, however, comes the ups and downs of getting children to comply with what we say while being pulled in a thousand different directions. It’s no wonder why parents often resort to […]

3 STESP TO SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD Have you ever had a teacher, coach, or mentor that inspired you to the very core? One that cheered you on to achieving your big dreams and goals with the biggest heart, joy and fire? Each and every day, our team of Pediatric Ninja Specialists, Instructors and Coaches serve […]

The ABC’s to setting Social Goals for your children. SOCIAL-DEVELOPMENT GOALS Do you remember the carefree days of your youth? Running outside to meet up with your friends at the park and keeping an eye on the sun and street lights to know when it was time to head home for dinner and family time. […]

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 […]

Regaining Health – Role Modeling Healthy Habits   The “Quarantine 15” has been yet another horrible reality of the pandemic. Not only were we separated, friend loved ones and friends, but unstructured days, decreased motivation, and increased boredom led to unhealthy habits for families. The result, for many, has been weight gain and reduced fitness […]

Welcome to the Extreme SKILLZ® Program This program was specifically designed to target the stages of development of 10 to 14-year olds. The curriculum in the Extreme SKILLZ Program includes years of research and development proven effective for this age group. Our goal for the Extreme SKILLZ Program is to maximize the effectiveness of each […]

  Movement Reducing the Effects of Sitting There’s no denying that advancements in technology have made our lives easier. We can work from home, shop online, and watch newly released movies, among many other things, all without leaving the couch. And while this saves us travel time and hassle, it can lead to unexpected health […]

Rebuilding Emotional Skills During the Summer. 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 feelings of sadness, fear, and anxiety. Since children are still developing abilities to regulate their strong and ever-changing emotions, […]

Rebuilding Intellectual Skills During the Summer Summer break is typically viewed as a time for relaxation, fun, and no schedules. However, considering the dramatic change in our lives over the past year and seeing communities begin opening back up in a full capacity now, this summer would be the perfect time to get children back […]

Rebuilding Physical Skills During the Summer For the past year, children have mostly been stuck inside, in front of a computer for school, and on a device during free time. And as much as parents have tried to keep their children active, it’s been a struggle with the limitations of many activities. But now, as […]

Playful Connection 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 […]

    Should I Worry? Tuning into Teens’ Emotional Shifts As we approach the one-year mark of an ever-strong pandemic that has rocked our world, we are searching for ways to keep ourselves mentally and emotionally in check. For teens, this has been an even more difficult feat. Adolescence is already fraught with stress and […]

              Is Your Child Real World Ready?   In recent years, parenting has undergone a shift and has become hyper-focused on the child. And while care, attention, and love are necessary for forming healthy attachments and helping children reach developmental milestones, an over-protective or coddling type approach can also […]

  Have you ever thought about what you are washing your mask with? This past year has been a lot different for many of us. We have had to make many changes in our every day lives. One of the biggest changes we have made is MASKS. Masks have seemed to become a new part […]

Behavior Shaping 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 […]

  Reinforcement vs. Punishment Understanding Behavior Modification   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. And granted, parents do their […]

How Trauma Affects Children and Teens 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 […]

How Trauma Affects Children and Teens 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 […]

The Motivator Molecule Boosting Dopamine in Constructive Ways Nowadays it seems that children are only interested in their video games, smart phones, and social media platforms. Parents are frustrated with their children’s lack of motivation for and attention to other activities that they are at a loss as to what to do. Therefore, parents often […]

  The Motivator Molecule Boosting Dopamine in Constructive Ways Nowadays it seems that children are only interested in their video games, smart phones, and social media platforms. Parents are frustrated with their children’s lack of motivation for and attention to other activities that they are at a loss as to what to do. Therefore, parents […]

As people grow older, they begin to find ways to be more productive and make use of their time. For senior citizens, in particular, they find that there is even more time they need to utilize and want to do so effectively. Many will go out and find other jobs while others will pursue hobbies […]

Every year, the American Heart Association celebrates Heart Month to raise awareness about heart disease and heart health. What you may not know is that martial arts are great for the heart. In fact, the cardiac benefits of martial arts give a whole new meaning to the idea of cardiovascular fitness. With that in mind, […]

Grade school can be quite the experience for any child. It is a place where a child not only learns academically but one where a child must learn to socialize and function in the world. Unfortunately, there are a lot of negative experiences that a child may have when going through school. Whatever those experiences […]

Preparing Children to Return to School – An Intellectual Approach Over the past few months, we have been inundated with information that seems to change almost daily, making it hard to resolve what should and should not be done. Everyone has their thoughts and feelings about varying current debates, especially regarding starting school. And while […]

Preparing Children to Return to School A Developmental Approach As we continue through the current pandemic and re-opening efforts show real challenges, school districts everywhere are trying to devise the best plans for children, teachers, and staff to return. And while there will be no perfect solution for each family, parents must consider all the […]

Preparing Children to Return to School – An Emotional Approach As back to school plans continue to change almost daily, children’s emotions will remain unpredictable. One day they are thinking about returning to their friends and teachers at school, and the next, they are told they won’t be returning for another few months. Because of […]

Balance Feels Best – Helping Children Neutralize Technology Overload 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 […]

Balance Feels Best – Helping Children Neutralize Technology Overload 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 […]

A 4D Approach to Online Safety Children of all ages are spending more and more time on devices. Online schoolwork and staying connected to family members are positive ways children can use technology. And while video games and social media apps are ways for children to connect and “play” with friends, these platforms are also […]

Situational Awareness – Increasing Children’s Observational Skills   Today’s world is busy; people are rushing here and there to get to work, school, the store, or the next activity. Even our “leisure” time is filled with busyness. And during all of it, we are distracted by our devices. This not only leads to us missing […]

  Igniting Your Teens’ Motivation   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 […]

  Preparing Children to Return to School – A Social Approach Over the past few months, interactions have been minimal, and our social skills are rusty. Since prolonged school closures have a negative impact on children’s social development, we are now faced with how to regain skills while moving forward with new skills. Though some […]

With everything going on today, you probably have been hearing about how important it is to keep our immune systems in tip top shape and maintain our body’s health. One way to do this is by eating foods that are high in Vitamin C. I know you’re probably thinking, “I know that, I hear it […]

Listening Beyond Words 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 […]

Pandemic Parenting Understanding Your Child’s Regressive Behaviors Raising a child can be one of the most rewarding jobs around. And while it’s exciting to watch children grow and develop into caring humans, parenting definitely brings about it’s fair share of challenges. Fast forward to 2020 and we are now faced with parenting during a pandemic […]

Leading by Example The Power of Self-Care in Parenting   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 […]

Nurturing Children’s Social Development During the Pandemic For the past two months, we have been asked to socially distance ourselves from others in order to stop the spread of COVID-19. We’ve put most of our “normal” daily living routines on pause and created a secluded environment for ourselves and our children. And while many things […]

Boredom – An Essential Ingredient for Creativity Remember when you wished the weekend would last forever? As weeks of the “shelter in place” order have passed, the eagerness for some “time off” has lost its spark. Children’s boredom is growing day by day and will continue, especially as many schools will be ending the school […]

Maintaining Healthy Development With our country at somewhat of a standstill due to the current pandemic, it’s easy to get into a routine  that is more laid back. Anything from going to bed late to increased screen time, habits may start leaning on the unhealthy side. And one of the major behaviors that appear when […]

Helping Children Feel Secure in an Uncertain World   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 […]

Proper Warmup – The Key to Sports Injury Prevention   Children and teens are involved in a myriad of physical activities and sports. And whether they are at a competitive or recreational level, the basic physical requirements are the same. In order to achieve optimum training levels, it’s important that the exercises prepare the athlete […]

Resilience: Helping Children and Teens Build Coping Skills 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 […]

School Readiness – What Teachers Really Look For When we hear the term “school readiness,” the first thing most people think of is children knowing academic basics that will help them meet the demands of the classroom. And while these cognitive skills are important, teachers feel that skills in the other areas of child development […]

Brain Development for 18 – 36 Months Healthy brain development is one of the most important aspects of childhood development. More specifically, the first few years of life are a significant time for this because synaptic connections are at a peak level. This is the time when positive and nurturing experiences are vital so that […]

  How Parental Involvement Increases Child Success Parents are an essential element to their child’s success in anything. The enthusiasm and support, or lack thereof, of a parent can make or break a child’s accomplishments. In SKILLZ martial arts, it is even more essential that parents be involved as part of the teaching team since […]

Can My Child Transfer To SKILLZ But Keep Current Rank? For many people, martial arts is one unified style, which they call “karate,” and includes learning a variety of self-defense moves. When students decide to change martial arts schools, they are often told they must “start over” at white belt. And while it is important […]

How Mirror Neurons Impact Learning Learning is a big part of child development and how children learn things is dependent on a variety of factors. Much of the time, observational learning contributes to how children learn information and behaviors. This type of social learning can be greatly influential because of the role that mirror neurons […]

The Importance of Bilateral Coordination on Physical and Cognitive Skills The development of a child can be one of the most fascinating things to watch unfold. From infants mirroring movements to toddlers and children mastering high level developmental skills, the growth they experience in a short time is astounding. And while all skills are important […]

The Importance of Uniforms For many years, uniforms have been used in a multitude of industries. From school, to the military, to sports teams, to work, uniforms have remained an element that helps people distinguish one team or organization from another. And while uniforms are mainly used for this reason, sports teams, the military and […]

The Shopper’s Self Defense Guide Holiday shopping can be a thrill. In a good way and even in a bad way. Adding a little self defense mentality can go a long way. Self Awareness You have society on your side. Potential criminals (for the most part) won’t just obnoxiously run up to you in front […]

The Best P.I.E.S. for the Holiday Season It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The holidays are for celebrations, togetherness, and relaxation. It’s a magical time and all the fun activities, shopping, and baking keeps everyone busy. And with all the excitement comes a great deal of preparation and scheduling. It’s easy for parents […]

  Parenting During the Holidays It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Shopping for gifts, decorating the house, baking goodies, attending parties, visiting family…there are so many fun and exciting things to do. With all these wonderful events, who wouldn’t be happy all the time? Unfortunately, children and especially children with any type of […]

Fostering Empathy in Children During the Holidays ‘Tis the season! A season of giving, a season of patience, a season of all things warm and inviting. Doesn’t it all sound magical? As we go into this time of year, the excitement fills the air and the anticipation of gifts and fun activities encompasses our very […]

What To Expect From Your New Ninja   Martial arts has a well-known benefit of helping children develop physical skills and improve in 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 are possible, parents often […]

Not All Ninjas Are The Same All parents want the same thing…for their child to be a positive member of society and experience success. And while these are important things, they often come through a push to achieve and be the best in everything. Unfortunately, this is frequently done through comparing their children to others. […]

  In today’s world competition is everywhere and it often starts at a very young age. It begins as a fun, skill-developing event but can quickly become time-consuming and competitive. While some parents want their children pushed to help them learn the hard lessons of life, others want to protect their children from the disappointment […]

  How Near-Peer Mentoring Creates Tomorrow’s Leaders Mentoring has been around for many years and has shown to have many positive outcomes for all participants. In SKILL Martial Arts, the mentoring program that is implemented is called the STORM Team, or Leadership Team . This is a “near-peer” type mentoring program that is very structured […]

Summertime is coming to an end, and with that comes all of the back to school anxiety and jitters that are common amongst children. Your child may experience common physical effects of anxiety associated with back to school time including symptoms from stomachaches to sleeping problems. They will also experience emotional stress from the fear […]

GAME-BASED LEARNING The Benefits of Game-Based Learning for 10 to 14-year olds Every day children are faced with increased amounts of pressure to work harder, learn more quickly, and manage their emotions. This is especially true for 10 to 14-year olds due to their intellectual growth during this period. However, this pressure is unhealthy for […]

SEROTONIN: The Key To Reinforcing Positive Behaviors In Children and Teens Have you ever had a “gut feeling” about something? Have you ever considered that children have these as well? Of course they do! The problem is, they don’t know how to express this to us. They know something doesn’t feel right, so they act […]

OXYTOCIN: The Key To Positive Social Relationships in Children and Teens Oxytocin has been dubbed the “love chemical.” It is the hormone that is released when we feel love and trust in relationships. For most people, they know oxytocin as a significant part of the parent-child bonding process. However, it is also very important in […]

DOPAMINE The Key to Increased Motivation and Focus in Children and Teens   Have you ever wondered why children and teens seem to be so addicted to their smart phones and other devices? Parents are frustrated with their children’s lack of attention and motivation but what do their devices have to do with this? The […]

The C.O.A.L. Method – 4 Quick and Easy Steps to Dealing with Children’s Negative Behaviors By Jennifer Salama When it comes to parenting, emotions can run high. When children act out negatively, parents often become frustrated quickly and react by trying to fix the behavior immediately by yelling, punishing, etc. However, this approach is never a […]

      Top 11 Online Shopping Secrets Your Friends Don’t Know   1. Buy replacement items like Brita filters, Sonicare heads and phone chargers on Amazon.                   Amazon has the best price possible on these types of items for two reasons. First, you can usually find generics that work […]

      Benefits to SKILLZ Training Over Summertime During the school season teachers, assistants, and counselors are focused on helping your children learn and grow. But what happens during the summer season when these people are not around? It makes sense that as a parent you would want your child to maintain some level […]

                      Want to know the science behind our 7 to 9-year old (Core SKILLZ) program? Here’s an overview for the stages of development of children ages 7 to 9: • Physically – they typically have weak fine motor skills therefore proficient technique is not quite […]