|
 Children
love heroes! You are your child's hero. My parents are still and will
always be my heroes. The most important thing in a child's early life
is to be loved and cared for by mom and dad. You are their role model.
Yet in time you begin to compete with other heroes.
Children are mesmerized by power--that is why you start losing them to
super heroes and athletes.
It is said that the village raises the child. Yet
there has been a paradigm shift on our society.
Today the village is Jerry Springer and MTV. It's the
media that idolized Puff Daddy, Mike Tyson and WWF wrestling. They
have made heroes of some of the worst role models of our society.
These celebrities feel that we owe them millions of
dollars and they can live by a different set of rules. Dennis Rodman
has even stated that he doesn't want to be a role model.
As juvenile crime soars it is obvious that our society
is no longer the village that could be trusted in raising our
children. Juvenile gang activities are rampant in most cities. Guns
and knives aren't an uncommon sight at many schools and let's not
forget Columbine.
Could all this stem from TV sex and violence, the
lyrics in our popular music, violent video games, or could it be the
possibility of taking prayer out of our schools?
Why are kids so angry today? Studies show that anger
can be a reflection of the breakdown of the family unit. Psychologists
agree that healthy, happy and successful children are the product of
parents who get involved in their children's activities.
Children measure success not by how many toys they
have, but by the time they spend sharing their life and love with
their heroes, their parents.
So let's get active with our children. Why not become
your child's scout leader or soccer coach? Have the family take up a
new hobby like rollerblading or bicycling.
Better yet, start a martial arts program and attain
the coveted black belt together. You will surely become your child's
hero.
Julio G. Anta is a certified black belt, personal
trainer, fitness kickboxing instructor at Doral Park Country Club and
Everglades Middle School. For any questions or information, feel free
to contact Julio Anta at 305-599-3649 or e-mail at fitdef@aol.com.
|
