3 Ways to Help Your Child Use Their Ninja Skillz at Home

Kids love ninja classes at a Dauntless Martial Arts SKILLZ Child Development Center. The mix of age-specific martial arts themes and powerful child development lessons makes for a fun yet educational experience. Parents love ninja classes because of the results they see in their children’s physical, intellectual, emotional, and social growth while on the mat.

But what happens when your child gives the instructor a high five and leaves the building after class? Do the lessons carry over?

Every experience a child has affects their development somehow. These subtle shifts in personality and ability will affect their growth for years to come. However, the right nurturing outside of the learning environment can supercharge your child’s training benefits.

Here are 3 Ninja Parenting Tips you can use at home to help your child extend the lessons they learn in class to the rest of their lives:

Labeled Praise

Ask Questions

Catch Them Being Good

Labeled Praise

Imagine your child walks into the kitchen just before dinner. They see the cookie jar at the edge of the counter. Without a word, they push the cookie jar back. You respond with a smile and say, “Good boy!”

This praise may confuse some children. Did you praise them for moving the jar? For not taking a cookie? Or simply for coming into the kitchen?

By labeling praise, you can encourage specific behaviors and character traits. For example: “Good job moving the cookie jar back so it didn’t fall. That shows you are responsible and observant.”

This kind of labeled praise not only recognizes the action but also ties it to a positive character trait. Over time, children begin to see these traits as part of their identity and look for more opportunities to show responsibility, teamwork, or focus.

Ask Questions

Children crave connection, and sometimes behaviors we perceive as “negative” are really attempts to connect. Questioning can help fulfill that need while also guiding behavior.

Instead of asking, “How was class?” (which often gets you a one-word answer), ask:

“What did you learn in class today?”

Or better yet, “Can you teach me the skill you worked on today?”

Teaching reinforces learning, builds confidence, and strengthens parent-child connection.

When poor choices happen, questioning can also guide better decision-making:

“Do you think hitting Johnny when he took your toy was a good idea or a bad idea?”

“What would be a better way to handle it?”

This turns the child into a problem-solver rather than labeling them as the problem.

Catch Them Being Good

At Dauntless Martial Arts, our SKILLZ instructors are trained to notice positive behaviors—whether it’s great focus, discipline, or teamwork—and call them out.

At home, it’s easy to notice kids only when they’re misbehaving. Instead, practice catching them being good. For example:

“Wow, Katie! I love how focused you are on your homework!”

This activates the brain’s “happy chemicals” (dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin) and reinforces positive neurology. Over time, kids will seek out more opportunities to be noticed for the right reasons.

Getting Help

A child enrolled in a Dauntless SKILLZ program will learn many valuable lessons, but instructors are never a replacement for proactive parenting. When parents and instructors work together, children thrive.

Your SKILLZ instructor can help create a home support plan tailored to your child’s needs. This might include the tips above or even enrolling in Parent SKILLZ, a program designed to help parents strengthen their parenting toolkit.

You’re already a great parent of an awesome ninja. Our goal is to make your job easier and more enjoyable. Let us know which of these tips you try!

✨ Author: Michael A Evans

6th-degree black sash under Moises Arocho

Martial artist since 1985

Co-owner of 4GK Martial Arts & SKILLZ of Patchogue

COO for SKILLZ Worldwide

Certified Pediatric Ninja Specialist