We all want our children to possess the self discipline and self esteem to succeed and excel. We notice and appreciate the behaviors of well behaved and disciplined children and sometimes feel ill equipped to help our child to attain these skills.

Though this development is vital its attainment is not a mystery. Experts have clearly defined three main keys to helping to develop your child’s behaviors for self discipline. The key focus areas are:

· Work
· Choice
· Rewards

Work: The concept of work is related to willpower. In order to have the discipline to complete a task or a job, your child must understand the concept of work. We can teach our children to work and achieve by setting examples and assigning tasks with resultant rewards, such as connecting chores or martial arts achievements with increased responsibility or recognition.

Choice: Self discipline is a choice. Martial arts instruction teaches and reinforces the concept of personal choice and consequences and teaches our children that they choose their actions. As your child practices self discipline they will discover that they are in charge of their life and their actions. This empowers them and gives them self confidence in their own abilities and choices.

Rewards: Martial arts can help your child realize that most of the rewards they receive in their life are because they worked and used self discipline to achieve them. If he or she doesn’t achieve the success they desired they will learn that increased self discipline and work will eventually bring them success.