School, Behavior, Communication Joanne Gribbins
My name is Joanne Gribbins. My husband David and I have been residents of Naperville for 3 years now. We have two beautiful daughters of whom we are very proud. Our youngest daughter Katherine began to experience difficulties with school work. Her frustration over not being successful in school was growing daily, and beginning to effect her opinion of herself, and her feelings of self-esteem. Because she was experiencing failure, despite struggling very hard to do well, she began to feel she was the failure.
We noticed it was becoming more and more difficult to communicate with Katherine as we all became uncertain about how to deal with everything. As we got more adamant about school attendance and grades Katherine became more defensive and overwhelmed. We were doing more arguing and less and less listening. Soon the tension in the family reached it's peak, and we had a very upsetting confrontation.
I had previously read about the use of martial arts programs to help people learn to build their focus, concentration, self-esteem, and self-management skills. I had recently received an ad booklet in the mail that included a page about P. S. Systems. I had also heard about it from the mother of one of my students who had been diagnosed as ADD. I called to schedule a free observation class, and soon received a call from Grand Master Hyong himself!
Katherine began regular classes soon after. We have seen many changes in the 4 months we have been coming to P. S. Systems. In the past, our communication skills had become extremely negative and unproductive. We were never sure how to avoid conflict of diffuse it. Now thanks to our Mission Statement and House Rules, we are able to refer to things we have agreed upon as acceptable together! Katherine has become more organized keeping track of her activities, school assignments, and job responsibilities in the past, we were almost never aware until the very last minute of what we needed to accomplish or where we needed to be.
Katherine's opinion of herself has improved greatly. In the past she was adamant about being unable to do things well. Now, she steps confidently into new activities and challenges. Her new school grades have gone from C's to A's and B's! We are so proud of her!
We have always supported our children in every way we thought possible. Meeting with other parents during the Parenting Classes, to share ideas and support each other under the guidance of Grand Master Hyong and the P. S. Systems Staff, has enabled us to become even more supportive and confident in our parenting.
We highly recommend the P. S. Systems Program to all families that may be experiencing similar difficulties with school work, behavior problems, or communication.
We have learned to practice new ways to deal with everyday situations and conflicts before they escalate. We have learned to talk and listen, and to put ourselves in each other's places to better understand what the other family member is feeling. I know Katherine has learned that she CAN do well and CAN feel personal success in her life. She has learned to organize and take control of her own life. She is beginning to understand what it means to feel competent. That is what P. S. Systems strives to teach.
Joining the P. S. Systems family has been a learning experience for us as a family, and an experience in success and empowerment for Katherine.
Joanne Gribbins