I have two boys at DG, currently, [at] Dragon Gym Berwyn. One is seven, one is nine; so they started when they were six and eight.

And it started out with my older son who's really gregarious but needs to home it a little bit. He needs a little more focus and a little less pride, and he has found that. He has really become much more humble, not as aggressive. He really sees a whole picture now and I find it, sometimes it's nice, that he can just leave it on the mat. So that's been really great for Luis.

But then we also have Hondo who started out at six, really shy. Not anti-social but just shy, quiet. And now, I mean, he puts himself out there like never before and I can see he's actually grown, physically; grown up. He stands taller, he assesses his situation, and he knows he can handle it; whereas before, he was kinda small and meek and timid and now, he's got it and he knows he's got DG behind him. For both boys it's been nice.

For me, when it comes down to it, if we have any behavioral issues, anything like that, at school, anywhere else, not even here on the mat, I know I have the support of DG. So if it comes down to it I can say, Luis was rotten to his brother today and the guys will keep an eye on it and kind of see, you know, will kinda keep them separate a little bit, and at the same time not separate them so much that they're making it a vibe. They're kind of gently putting them back together. For me, as mom, that's amazing. And the fact that my two year old can run around here and feel right at home to break down and reassess the waters and everything else, again, as a mom, I always feel welcome here. On my best days, on my worst days, DG has been awesome to us.