A Struggle Finding His THING
My son has struggled for a while, to find an activity or sport that he loves. (Besides Fortnite and Pokemon!)
He tried playing soccer, but he was too nervous he would let his team down if he didn’t run fast enough.
He tried baseball, but he was too nervous he’d get hit by a ball in the outfield. And when it was his turn at-bat, he was frozen with fear and self-doubt.
He joined a swim team; and even though he became a strong swimmer, he had a full meltdown when it was his turn to dive in during a competition.
Time To Help
We realized he was experiencing anxiety, so we began to look for activities that would help boost his self-confidence, and self-esteem.
So we decided to try karate. It took a lot of persuasion to even get him to the first class. He was convinced he’d be “the only one who didn’t know how to do it”. Or he’d be “bad at it”. He was filled with anxiety again.
Walking into the first lesson, he looked around and then tried to turn around and leave. Until he saw a good friend from school there. His friend convinced him to stay and try it; and he did. And he LOVED it.
We were so happy that he finally he found his “thing”. His comfort zone. His happy place. His self-confidence. The change in him since he started karate, has been amazing.
A huge reason why he loves it is Sensei Wolff; the owner of the karate school he attends. Sensei Wolff is very sensitive to making sure each kid that walks in his door, feels welcomed. He sees that some kids need a little more encouragement than others. And he has compassion and patience for each of those kids.
The Moment That Could Have Been A Disaster
After a couple months of karate, my son worked his way up a belt ranking, and was still in love with his new-found passion. Then on Halloween, Sensei Wolff sent an email saying students could wear their Halloween costume to class if they wanted; and my son said “sure”!
Se he put on his “Pikachu” costume (I told you he loves Pokemon!). Then he panicked. He said “mom, what if no one else wears a costume?” I reassured him that other kids definitely would be in costumes.
But when we got there, this Mom was WRONG!
Not one other kid was dressed up! And maybe for some kids, to walk into karate, being the only one dressed in a costume; wouldn’t be a big deal. But for a kid with anxiety, it was a very big deal. He walked in and looked around, and then looked at me… and his face was filled with panic.
UNTIL, Sensei Wolff saw him.
The Moment That Melted My Heart
Sensei Wolff took one look at “Pikachu”, and told my son he looked awesome, and then said he’d be right back. He went into his office and he came back out wearing a costume!
I saw the look of fear on my son’s face, completely fade away, and he suddenly had a HUGE smile on his face.
That day could’ve been a disaster, but it wasn’t. All because an adult realized the importance of making sure kids always feel like they fit in.
It melted my heart.
The Lesson
Please realize that EVERY person you encounter, you should treat with kindness, compassion, and patience. Not just kids, but adults too! We all need to feel like we are welcome and we fit in.
Thanks to Sensei Wolff for being a great example of compassion, and for putting the priceless look on my son’s face that melted my heart that day!
P.S. Share your own “melted heart” moments with us!