Partner in Parenting: Pick Up Your Stuff — and Stuff That Isn’t Yours!

This month’s Partner in Parenting to Raise Independent Kids challenge is simple but powerful: Pick up your stuff — and stuff that isn’t yours, too.

Last month, we encouraged our students to rearrange their rooms. The goal? Give them a sense of ownership over their personal space. Now that their space is set, it’s time to help them maintain it — and extend that care to the rest of the house as well.

Why This Matters

As parents, we know how tempting it is to just pick things up ourselves. It’s faster. It avoids a fight. And honestly, sometimes we’re just tired. But here’s the thing:

Why would anyone pick up their own stuff if someone else always does it for them?

That approach may keep the peace short term, but it doesn’t build independence. Our goal as parents is to raise children who don’t need us — who are confident, capable, and responsible by the time they head out into the world.

And we’re on a clock. That transition happens faster than we think.

This Month’s Challenge: Kids vs. Parents

To support you, we’re giving students a fun challenge sheet this month — and it’s Kids vs. Parents.

• One column tracks how often you, the parent, pick up their things.

• The other column tracks how often they pick up things around the house — especially things that aren’t theirs.

This isn’t just about tidiness. It’s about building awareness, responsibility, and initiative.

Age-Appropriate Expectations

• For younger kids (around 4–5 years old), encourage picking up a few specific things in their own room.

• For older kids (especially in the double-digit age range), this should expand to anything out of place in the house.

We want students to take pride in noticing that a dish was left on the counter — before you did. Or that the dog toys were scattered — and they picked them up without being asked.

A Bonus for Parents

We’re serious about this one — so serious, in fact, that if we see parents doing most of the work, we might reward you with a piece of tape in class!

Why? To help you prove to your kids:
Yes, we really do a lot around here.

We’ve Got Your Back

This month’s challenge is another step in our shared mission — building independent, confident kids who grow into leaders.

At True Balance Karate, we’re not just helping students become black belts in class. We’re helping them become black belts in life.

Stay tuned, stay strong, and let’s raise some responsible kids — together.

Want to get your child started on their journey to leadership and independence?

Try our 3-class intro program for just $19.99 at www.truebalancekarate.com
📍 True Balance Karate | Downers Grove, IL
📞 Call us at 630-663-2000 to learn more!