Preschool children learn how to play in a friendly way
Sensei Ted Dabbs, owner of Seaside Dojo School of Martial Arts in Lewes, recently spoke with a group of preschoolers at Kids Cottage of Rehoboth, teaching them how to play friendly and use “good hands.”
“While playing with one another, many preschoolers tend to get too aggressive by either biting, pushing or hitting each other. In school, children are expected to play appropriately without putting their hands on their peers. If we expect them to act a certain way, then we must teach them how,” said Dabbs.
Although roughhousing can be a normal part of child development, most teachers and day-care facilities have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to aggressive play in order to protect the safety of each student.
“Learning how to play in a safe manner is an important step in the social development of preschool-aged children. Aggressive traits in children can sometimes lead to bullish behavior, while being overly passive can actually attract bullies. The key is to teach children how to be assertive so that they won’t become a target or a bully. Very often, preschoolers copy the behaviors of their peers, whether good or bad, and may not understand why they are not allowed to roughhouse or put their hands on their friends when playing at school,” said Dabbs.
During the presentation, Dabbs interacted with the children using stuffed animals to demonstrate how rough play could lead to physical injuries, hurt feelings and property damage. The children were taught the consequences of their actions and how they can affect others.
Dabbs had the children make a vow to use their hands for helping, sharing, working, and never hurting or bullying others. They were then given Good Hands Awards to wear that day as a reminder to keep their hands off their classmates and play in a friendly way.
With more than 20 years of experience in the martial arts and fitness industry, Dabbs has led children’s martial arts programs and women’s self-defense seminars, and has taught physical education in the public school system. He has recently become a certified FAST Defense instructor as part of an award-winning anti-bullying/child abduction and self-defense program developed by Bill Kipp.
As an active member of the Cape community, Dabbs has taught these programs at Kids Cottage, The Firm Fitness Center, Rehoboth Senior Center, Lewes MOPS group and the Cape Carousel program, to name a few.
For more information on these programs or to schedule Dabbs to present to a school or group, go to www.SeasideDojo.com or contact him at 302-448-9833 or teddabbs@mac.com.
