Providing a Better After-School Care Option

In today's economy, where it is common for both parents to work full-time jobs, quality after-school care is a consistent need in most communities.  Traditionally, day cares have dominated this service.  They have had the infrastructure and facilities to provide the care.  In addition, many parents already had their children in all-day daycare when their children were too young for school.  However, in recent years, martial arts schools have begun to offer an alternative to the daycare model.

Martial arts after-school programs have much to offer parents and students that traditional day cares lack, including:

• Physical Fitness - With obesity at epidemic levels, budget cuts requiring schools to reduce their physical education classes, and children becoming less active due to the abundance of entertainment options such as video games, movies, etc., programs that incorporate fitness are in high demand.  Unfortunately, the closest most day cares get to incorporating fitness is letting kids play on a small playground.
• Self-Defense - Bullying continues to be a very troublesome problem in our schools.  In fact, many state legislatures, including Oklahoma's, are considering legislation to address this issue.  Again, day cares are simply not equipped to effectively address this issue, and are often the scene of bullying episodes.

• Life-Skills - As I mentioned in my last blog, martial arts schools are extremely effective at teaching important values and skills such as self-discipline, focus, courtesy and respect.  These attributes are a natural part of martial arts training, and the best schools consistently emphasize them.  Day cares have little time or ability to effectively incorporate life-skills training into their care.

It isn't surprising that martial arts schools would begin to enter into the after school care service arena.  In fact, it is to the benefit of parents and students that they have.  They bring a variety of benefits that traditional day cares are unable to provide.  In addition, in most cases, they can provide their service at a very competitive price with daycare providers.

If you are a parent or guardian who needs after school care, I encourage you to explore the option of a martial arts after-school program.  They can offer your child physical, mental, and character education skills not found in most other after-school programs.  All American Martial Arts After School Program