They are students at the Innovative Concept Academy, a school for “troubled” kids in St. Louis, MO and, for them, chess is a mandatory subject.
The school was established by Jimmie Edwards, a former court judge who grew weary of seeing kids come through the judiciary system with little hope of ever getting back on the right track. He realized that if these children didn’t change their focus and attitudes, they’d become an even greater threat to society, and he wanted to do something about it. That’s when he opened his school.
Edwards walks the halls almost every day to ensure that the students are getting the skills they need to succeed. In his school, many of those skills are obtained through a friendly game of chess.
“Most of my kids are impulsive, reactionary and lash out without thinking through the consequences” said Edwards. “Chess teaches them patience and teaches them that there are consequences to bad decisions.”
Maybe the children in your life haven’t been labeled as “troubled,” but all kids need help in successfully maneuvering through a world that’s becoming more complex and challenging by the day. I encourage you to play chess or some other game with your kids. The interaction will do you both good – I love playing chess with my three and a half year old. Chess encourages strategic thinking, focus, and concentration like few other things can.
Two More Things You Can Do To Prepare Your Kids for “The Game of Life”
Be sure that your kids take a good multivitamin every day. Our multi for kids is chewable and provides an easy way for them to get the nutritional support they need to stay well. And, as an added bonus, it tastes great!
You also want to be sure that your kids’ snacks don’t give them an artificial “sugar high”, increase their chances of dental decay, or burden them with unnecessary calories. Thankfully, we offer one of the healthiest snacks on the planet, our Permalean Protein Nutrition Bars.
These delicious bars are 100% natural and contain no artificial sweeteners, preservatives, toxins, or high fructose corn syrup. Two thumbs up for Mother Nature – it doesn’t get much better than this!
Healthy children have a great head start in life and are more apt to grow into healthy, happy adults. Let’s do our part, starting today, to ensure the future success of the kids in our lives. Thanks for all that you do to make this world a happier place! Until next month...
