Throughout April 2012, we’ll be working on the concept of “legacy.”

All our discussions and activities will aim to help our students understand that is what you leave behind. It’s what people remember about you, a team you were on or a school or class you were part of — even after the season or year is over.

Powerful Words is the name of our character development curriculum here at Urban Martial Arts. It’s designed by one of the nation’s leading childhood development experts, Dr. Robyn Silverman. Every month, we’ll focus on a different Powerful Word, or concept around character development.

In this video, Dr. Robyn addresses a girl who’d like to know what kinds of questions to ask her grandparents in order to better understand their legacy.

To give you more ideas for conversation topics, here’s a run-down of what we’ll be discussing this month:

Week 1 Courage defined: What does courage mean? What are people scared of?
Week 2 Taking healthy risks: How can I try new things & meet new people?
Week 3 Courage & Values: How can I stand up for what I think is right and fair?
Week 4 Keeping Control: How can I calm myself down and make good choices?

We’d love to hear how your conversations go with your child so do share with us!

Throughout April 2012, we’ll be working on the concept of “legacy.”

All our discussions and activities will aim to help our students understand that is what you leave behind. It’s what people remember about you, a team you were on or a school or class you were part of — even after the season or year is over.

Powerful Words is the name of our character development curriculum here at Urban Martial Arts. It’s designed by one of the nation’s leading childhood development experts, Dr. Robyn Silverman. Every month, we’ll focus on a different Powerful Word, or concept around character development.

In this post, Dr. Robyn answers a question from a parent who wants to preserve her family history to help her children see where they come from.

Dear Dr. Robyn,

— KatieAnn D.; Durham, NC, paraphrased from an e-mail; with permission

Dear KatieAnn,

What a beautiful idea! I think it’s wonderful that you want to help preserve your family history and use your family’s story to teach your children.

People often think of the “treasures” someone leaves behind in terms of money, jewelry and other assets. But as Mark Hayes Daniell writes in Family Legacy and Leadership; “Family legacy encompasses all that a family holds dear and wants to preserve for the future – the histories, values, knowledge and experience that are just as essential as a family’s financial assets.”

I agree, don’t you? So what should we think about when we are trying to preserve our family’s legacy? Read the full article →

Throughout April 2012, we’ll be working on the concept of “legacy.”

All our discussions and activities will aim to help our students understand that is what you leave behind. It’s what people remember about you, a team you were on or a school or class you were part of — even after the season or year is over.

Powerful Words is the name of our character development curriculum here at Urban Martial Arts. It’s designed by one of the nation’s leading childhood development experts, Dr. Robyn Silverman. Every month, we’ll focus on a different Powerful Word, or concept around character development.

To inspire your own discussions at home, here are five of our all-time favorite quotes about legacy:

“The mass of men worry themselves into nameless graves while here and there a great unselfish soul forgets himself into immortality.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Pride and power fall when the person falls, but discoveries of truth form legacies that can be built upon for generations”
—Criss Jami

“The reward doesn’t necessarily go to the biggest, the brightest, or the best. It goes to the one who has the courage to keep trying until success is inevitably achieved.”
—Dr. Robyn Silverman

“If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”
—Benjamin Franklin

“Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.“
—Shannon L. Alder

“No legacy is so rich as honesty.“
—William Shakespeare

To give you more ideas for conversation topics, here’s a run-down of what we’ll be discussing over the next 4 weeks:

Week 1 Legacy defined: What does legacy mean? What is a good or a bad legacy?
Week 2 Legacy, character & behavior: How do I treat others?
Week 3 Impact & impression: Who has made an impact on me? Who has taught me?
Week 4 Keep & share: How do we remember and commemorate?

We’d love to hear how your conversations go with your child so do share with us!

Photo Credit: Skunkworks Photographic on stock.xchng

It’s the beginning of a new month, and that means it’s time for a new Powerful Word!

Throughout April 2012, we’ll be working on the concept of “legacy.”

All our discussions and activities will aim to help our students understand that is what you leave behind. It’s what people remember about you, a team you were on or a school or class you were part of — even after the season or year is over.

Powerful Words is the name of our character development curriculum here at Urban Martial Arts. It’s designed by one of the nation’s leading childhood development experts, Dr. Robyn Silverman. Every month, we’ll focus on a different Powerful Word, or concept around character development.

Here’s a video from Dr. Robyn Silverman in which she introduces some of the concepts we’ll be covering this month:

This month we will focus on the powerful word; “legacy.” Legacy is what you leave behind. It’s what people remember about you, a team you were on or a school or class you were part of– even after the season or year is over. Read the full article →