Price of Shyness

Often when I ask about a young boy/girl, I hear that they are "a good boy/girl." What does being good really mean though? How do we measure goodness, and are those the standard for everyone.

The answer is that goodness, or being good is relative. There are no set standards, and parents often compare their child, to the noisy, rambunctious kids they come across. Therefore, a quiet, unassuming child, that keeps to their own, and doesn't "bother" the parents, is considered good (most of the time).

But, is that good for the child. Children are meant to be exploring, prodding, and yes, causing some trouble. Now I am not talking about setting fires, or destroying property. But a child needs to be physically active and moving.

A child that keeps to himself, is not physically active, does not compete or train regularly, will develop substantial amount of obstacles in their teens and adult life. Whether we want it or not, life is competitive, and it is better to fail in controlled environment, where coaches and parents are there to soften your landing, then to never learn the price of a failure or defeat, and have to face it, as an adult.

The price of shyness for a child, is the exorbitant toll that it takes on the child in their childhood, and their lives as adults. Without knowing how to deal with situation, without getting out of the comfort-zone, without experiencing the discomfort of trying new things, and living the adventure that life is, their life will be uncomfortable, their achievements limited, and their personal experiences could be harsh.

To combat this, parents should make regimented trainings like martial arts, an important part of their child's upbringing. Learning how to set goals properly, working toward them, fair play, camaraderie, honesty, perseverance, tenacity, and friendship, is what martial arts are all about.