I'm not gonna try to claim to be the athletic one in the family.  Let's just say it is not my forte. What I will claim is props for being the responsible one.  The one that will drop my own plans on a dime for those of my girl's needs.  I take their development very seriously and I try my best to be there for them every step of the way.  I'm not over protective and I am not careless but I always strive to have a balance where I feel they can flourishing at their best potential.  And this goes for everything they do. I am a firm believer in allowing our kids to make decisions and learn on their own and at their own pace.  When it comes to their likes and dislikes, it's no different.  I do know sometimes our children need a bit of a push, or tender shove to get them out of their snapchat rut.  Motivate them to try something new because you never know, "you might just like it".  But I would never push them to keep doing something they don't feel passionate about.  I could never force them to be someone they are not.  While a "try this you might like it" attitude is appropriate, a "do this or else" is not.

The one who is athletic in our family though, is their dad.  He has always been a big martial arts fan and fitness since we got married, eons ago.  He has always trained and has never give up on his passion. It's been a long journey for him and we were thrilled when he finally earned his black belt in Ninjutsu. It was a day of celebration because we know how hard and long he has trained for this day and it finally happened.  He currently trains in Ninjutsu and Jiujitsu while doing fitness and working full time.  He is incredible at handling everything he wants to do in life and doesn't let anything get in his way.  For this and so much more he is an inspiration for our daughters who learn not from what they hear but from what they see.  The same day dad got his Black belt in Ninjutsu, our daughter Camila got her red belt as well.  I was just so happy to see them share this daddy/daughter moment together.  It is definitely just the beginning of so much more because at such a young age, she already shares his love for martial arts as well.

I began to train in Ninjutsu when I was younger but when I became pregnant with my first daughter I had to stop.  Although I planned on returning, I never had the opportunity with raising my three daughters and work and family.  Now that things have changed so much and my daughters are growing, I am a firm believer of martial arts training and what it does to a young girl's self esteem and development.  I didn't necessarily saw the need in myself but now that I am a mom and fear all the what-ifs of the world, I find this kind of training an almost necessity for them.  Their dad's motivation and love for the sport has always encouraged them to try it and his "try it and you'll love it" attitude has always been a source of inspiration for them but I always made sure to allow them time to be ready.

My first daughter got her black belt in TaiKwonDo a couple of years ago and decided to take a break until she found something else she felt passionate about. I was not about to rush her but did provide the reassurance that "if you don't like it, then you don't".  We're not all built the same or made to love them same things.  She took my advice and she gave it a try.  She tried Jiujitsu and she now says she is hooked!  I couldn't be happier for her because I know it will teach her not only self defense but also self discipline that often times young kids struggle with.  Feeling accomplished, capable and being part of something big means everything to a young kid's minds.

Parenting is definitely a game of two.  Dad plays the role of motivation, inspiration and encouragement.  He's the reason why martial arts is such a huge part of our family.  What role do I play?  Aside from being the one who doesn't train, I am the method.  I am the one who gets them there and makes all this possible.  See, I like to think of us as parents who share the amazing responsibility of making the best of our daughter's future.  Without the inspiration of dad and without me actually making sure they are in class every day, it just would not be possible.  They couldn't do one without the other and vice versa and this is what's so important for parents to understand.  In my youth I had parents where one couldn't take me and the other didn't want to.  Yes, live and learn and always strive to improve on what we didn't have as children. I don't complain of my past, but I learn from my past.  We want our girls to have more possibilities than we had and for them to know they can count on us if they need anything.

So you see, I couldn't be more proud of my girls and their dad for being such an important and engaging part of each other's lives.  They inspire each other, they encourage each other, they feed off each other's energy.  I will always be there to encourage and cheer for them and all I ask in return is to get some good photos in the process, right? :)