On Parenting and Farming – It’s All About Patience!

JANUARY 2023

Being a parent can be compared to being a farmer.

Parenting and farming both take A LOT of patience. You plant seeds, then wait. You are constantly watering and nurturing, but you can’t always see the growth taking place underneath. You wonder if you’re doing everything you can to give them their best chance of success. You also know that so much is out of your control. You get nervous when there’s bad weather – will they be okay? Have I prepared them enough? Very few of your answers or solutions seem to come quickly or easily.

Parents and farmers both have clear objectives and “farm” with the future in mind. They meet present needs while cultivating attitudes and habits that will endure in the long run. They teach love, kindness, responsibility, and honesty – skills that will last a lifetime.

At TEAM Martial Arts, we have the same farmer mentality when it comes to patience and building lifelong skills. What we teach often cannot be quantified or measured by number of classes taken or number of punches thrown. However, we know that if we provide a little bit of water and sunlight consistently, week after week, with attention and care, then over time we will witness transformation.

Above all else, at TEAM Martial Arts we focus on growing confidence. We work with our students so that they feel a sense of belonging, and they know that they have a support system helping them to succeed. For the five-year-old student, confidence might grow when she is called upon to demonstrate a technique in front of the class. For the tenyear- old student, confidence may get a boost when the instructor invites him to join leadership class, telling him that he has the potential and work ethic to be a great instructor if he continues working hard. For the forty-year-old student, who is also a mom and a career woman, confidence goes up as she’s training to earn her black belt and she realizes that she is capable of so much more than she ever thought possible.

Whether you are a parent, teacher, instructor, student, farmer, or a combination of these, keep forging ahead. Even if you can’t see the progress, know that it’s there just under the surface. Keep putting in the hard work and trust that the harvest will be breathtaking.

(Oh, and don’t be afraid to lean on your TEAM for help every once in a while – no one can do everything alone!)

– Miss Amber