Today after Liam’s Tae Kwon Do class, two kids tested for their yellow belts. I was glad we were there so Liam could see what a testing looked like so he would know what to expect when it’s his turn. Now, back to the point of this post. One of the kids who tested today has been in Liam’s class since we started. He is probably about 12 years old, very tall, very lanky and not the most coordinated kid in the world. The first time I saw him in class he was literally bouncing off the studio walls. Their teacher was very patient with him and was very good about redirecting him. My heart just ached for this kid. He just seemed like the kind of kid who is very sweet and loveable, but his body and his brain were just not cooperating with each other. I am not a person who thinks every kid who might have a hint of ADD/ADHD should be medicated, but this child’s actions were just screaming for help. I have had kids like this in class. It is so hard to watch them. They struggle in so many areas: their school work, friendships, emotionally, and it is so painful to watch them in their daily struggles. Well, today this child tested for his yellow belt and got it. I started crying for him. I was sitting next to his parents and I just can’t imagine all of the struggles they have had and to have this awesome moment just brought me to tears. I can’t even put it into words, but it was awesome. Their teacher even commented on how far he has come. I know that many parents who have kids who struggle in school for various reasons put their kids in martial arts to help them. I don’t know the whole story of this child, but whatever they are doing seems to be working. I hope and pray that he has many continued successes and I am sure both he and his parents deserve them all.
Archive for the ‘TKD’ Category
Liam got his first stripe at Tae Kwon Do last night! He was so excited; you would have thought he had earned a new belt. He has definitely been bitten by the TKD bug. He wants the next stripe very badly and wants to test for it on Friday. I had to inform him that he has not even learned everything yet that he would be tested over. I have a feeling that if they teach it to him on Friday he will try and test over it after class. I don’t think they let them do that though. Either way, I am very excited for him and glad that he has found something that he enjoys doing.
It is so much fun to be a parent on the days when your kids are learning something new. To see their eyes light up with pride is enough to make any parent’s day. Colm came home from school today reading. He was SO proud of himself and he read those same words over and over and over again to me in the car and then to Sean when he came home from work. It was great! There were high fives all around. Then to see Liam at Tae Kwon Do today. He is working really hard to get his first stripe. He is going to try and get it next week and I think he will. One more thing and then I will stop bragging about our children…Colm is a rock star ice skater. I am serious. He isn’t going to be in the Olympics any time soon, but he is doing awesome. Even if he wasn’t doing great, what makes me smile from ear to ear is that he is trying something new and he loves it. Being a parent can be the hardest job on the planet, but there are days like today when you get paid in smiles, hugs, high fives and accomplishments that make it all worth it.