Question
My son has been a karate student for a year now. When he was 4 the class length for his age range was 30 minutes. Now that he is 5 he has entered a new level and the class runs for 60 minutes. He is struggling to stay on task for this length of time. Recently his instructor had him go back to wearing a white belt in hopes of increasing his motivation to stay on task. He wore the white belt for a couple of weeks and then after a good effort she re-presented him with his yellow belt. He continues to struggle and complains the class is too long and cuts into the amount of time that he has to play with his neighbor friend. His father have explained we want him in karate and we will not discuss quitting. He starts kindergarten in the Fall. Now that we will no longer have to pay for his preschool we have talked about his choosing something to do such as soccer or T-ball. I hesitate to initiate an outside reinforcer for his behavior in karate as I still have hope he will begin to feel an internal sense of accomplishment when he improves. I remind myself that he is only 51/2 and that the lack of attention span we see and lack of impulse control are normal. Does it sound typical or should I initiate something positive he can enjoy at home if he stays on task in class?
