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Weekend Events in Kuwait: May 29-30

5/28/2015

Only a few weeks till Ramadan and things are slow but here are a few events happening for families around Kuwait this weekend

FRIDAY, May 29
1. Yoga in the Park with @mazajent at 7:30am at Jamal Abdulnasser Park in Rawda.

2. Ramadan shopping with LB o J’zazz at Souq Mubarakiya, between Souq al Hareem and Shara’ea al Jadeed, Mujama Turath 2nd floor from 5pm to 10pm for artisanal objects made by Yadawi Collective.

3. Learn to bake a moist Chocolate Sponge-Cake with Vanilla Buttercream frosting at the Williams-Sonama shop @williamssonomamena in the Avenues from 2-4pm. Class is free, call 2228-3101 to register.

SATURDAY, May 30
4. Donate school books to charity at the Al-Faiha coop. Call 2257-3274 for more info.

5. Guided tour of the Arab Organization HQ (one of the most beautiful interior spaces in Kuwait.) at 10am. Call 2523-1015 to register with the Ties Center.

6. Abolish 153 charity exhibition at Contemporary Art Platform in Shuwaikh.

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New Mom Panic

5/25/2015

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If you are a first time mom, get ready for the panic. It will probably come unexpectedly, in the first days after you bring your newborn home. Maybe you’ll freak out over not being able to get your baby to latch on correctly, or you will have the bath water temperature too warm and your baby will screech when you dip her in. If you are lucky, you’ll have family and friends – other moms with lots of experience – to help you through those first few days, weeks and months.

The first few weeks with my firstborn was a roller coaster ride of emotions, panic and freaking out. I couldn’t figure out how to cut my baby’s fingernails without nicking her tender little skin. In the second week, my husband gave her a bath and the moment he dipped her in the baby tub, I heard her scream and knew immediately (from where I was laying in the bedroom) that the water was too hot.

One day I must have turned the AC up and down at least 20 times and eventually broke it because I couldn’t trust myself that she wasn’t too hot or too cold.

Don’t panic. At least that’s what they tell you in the hospital. Your family and friends and all the mom books, magazines and articles you read will repeat this like a mantra: Don’t panic.

They are right. You shouldn’t panic. But you probably will anyway. It’s hard to keep calm and unruffled when suddenly a tiny creature hardly larger than your palms is thrust into your sole care and you aren’t even sure how to change a diaper.

Panic but don’t lose your cool. And by that I mean, allow yourself to have a freak out moment. To get upset. To cry. Be gentle with yourself too. Guilt and blame do nothing for a new mom’s confidence or trust in herself. I never learned to cut my newborn’s fingernails without nicking the skin. I still can barely cut my three year old’s fingernails without nicking the skin. It’s just one of those things. My husband can do it and so I let him. Let yourself be free to make mistakes. When you screw up, laugh and move on.

The most important thing for new moms is trusting in yourself and building the bond with your baby. Take the time to be with your baby and don’t rush to set up a routine or get back to work (if you can, take the full maternity leave). Enjoy those precious baby moments – they will not last long.

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Help for Children with Hearing Impairments in Kuwait

5/21/2015

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Sada Educational Center provides preK and Kindergarten education for children with Cochlear Implants. The center is free of charge for all residents of Kuwait and teachers focus specifically on helping children to learn listening and speaking skills to prepare them for future education.

Kuwait Moms Guide: What is Sada Educational Center?
Sada Educational Center is a nonprofit organization established by Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation and under the umbrella of the Center for Child Evaluation and Teaching. It provides an integrated rehabilitation and educational program for children with cochlear implants preparing them for mainstream education.On June 2009, a contract was signed by Center for Child Evaluation and Teaching and Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation to establish Sada Center for children with cochlear implants. Sada started children and parents registration May 2011

Total Number of Children 2011-2015
2011-2012: 18
2012-2013: 12
2013-2014: 12
2014-2015: 12
Total = 54

KMG: What program or curriculum does Sada follow? What services does it follow?
Sada’s preschool program is based on a single curriculum that integrates speech and language pathology with education. Depending on the child’s evaluation, the beginning steps of the program start with the rehabilitation program known as the Language & Learning Enhancement Program. This begins with the outpatient stage of Early LLEAP. This level is followed by Foundation LLEAP, then Mid-level LLEAP and moving into Advanced LEAP.

Once the LLEAP stages are completed successfully (based on SLP evaluation), the child then is ready for Kindergarten 1 and later 2. For the LLEAP stages, the child can move to the different stages depending on progress made. In the preschool program students are exposed to a child appropriate developmental curriculum which stresses language and speech development in Arabic and particularly the Kuwaiti dialect. This curriculum helps children develop their speech and audio skills, their fine motor skills as well as skills required for oral language, mathematics, self-regulations and a positive self-image.

The preschool program also stresses development of social, emotional, cognitive and physical aspects of the child. Themes are part of the curriculum that helps develop language skills and teach the children about the world around them. All LLEAP classes have at least two speech and language pathologists for rehabilitation and a teacher and teacher’s aide for the education part.

All kindergarten classes have a teacher and a teacher’s aide. The curriculum makes learning, effective, fun and rewarding for the child. Activities provide opportunities for children to explore, use their senses, inquire, problem solve, and help them become independent learners.

KMG: Is the program open to locals and expatriates? What are the basic requirements?
Sada Center is opened to both locals and expatriates starting from the age 1.5 to 6 years old, depending on the capacity we can handle. We are a specialized center for the rehabilitation and education of children with Cochlear Implants therefore the only requirement is a child with a CI no less than 1.5 and less than 6 years old.

KMG: How does Sada help children with Cochlear Implants?
We provide children with Cochlear Implants with programs that focus on spoken and listening languages. Early Intervention level is the first step in the rehabilitation process that focuses on acquiring the basic skills of auditory and language areas which prepares the children for Foundation Leap (next level).The program concentrates on parent communication skills and how to create a rich auditory\linguistic environment for the child at home.

Next is Foundation Leap which is the first official level of integrated rehabilitation and education at Sada. This level forms the necessary foundation for children's auditory, language and speech skills alongside cognitive, social, emotion and physical development. After the child finishes Foundation Level, he will be ready to enter Mid Leap and Advanced Leaps. In these two levels, education is more involved than in Foundation Level. Once the child accomplished the goals in Advanced level, he moves to KG. At Sada, SLP’s play a more subtle role in both KG1 and KG 2. Therapy sessions are mostly individual based just to make sure that the child is on the right track. Sign language is not used as the intention is to help children “hear” and “Speak”.

KMG: Does Sada also offer training for parents and teachers?
Sada offers training for both parents and teachers. Workshops for parents are held in two semesters every year. Parents will learn how to deal with their child who received Cochlear Implants and improve his language skills. All our teachers are internally trained by our speech and language pathologists (SLP). As a long term plan we intend to have a training center for external SLPs and teachers.

KMG: What are the fees for children, parents and teachers?
All of Sada’s services are free of charge at this time.

KMG: What does an average day at Sada look like for the children?
Our programs are given to the children depending on their level. We start the day by giving the child self-help, an activity that focuses on the weakness point of the child. Listening check is very important once the child comes to the center to make sure that the device is working properly. In physical activities, the children do warm ups and many sports activities to get them ready for therapy sessions and educational activities.

The speech language therapist takes a group of children and gives them speech therapy to develop their listening and speaking skills. Education is involved in the child's program after finishing the first three leaps: Early Intervention, Foundation and Mid Leaps. The child takes education programs in Advanced leap and KG1 & KG2 in order to get ready for school. In Sada, we focus on story time because of its huge benefits on children with cochlear implants.

KMG: How many children attend the center? What are the ages? How many teachers and staff do you have and what is the child:teacher ratio?

Currently Enrolled Children:

Age    Children
3 yrs    2
4 yrs    5
5 yrs    6
6 yrs    6

Our staff is divided into SLPs, Teachers and teacher aides all that interact with the child. Child:teacher ratio on average depends on their level is

KMG: What is Sada's philosophy of education?
As stated previously Sada is a center that offers integrated learning for children with Cochlear Implants. In other words, words, speech therapy as well as education is combined on a daily basis aiding children’s optimum progress. Since educators and speech language pathologists (SLP’s) work together, educator’s goals are established according to language necessities required for each child’s development. As language acquisition is a priority when it comes to children with (CI) speech therapy sessions are consistent and dense throughout Foundation and Mid Leaps. Consequently, when the child escalates and acquires language, then basic education skills are integrated. As an education team we strive to establish essential skills that children can use and build on when they go to schools. Thus, preparing children to grow academically after they leave the center is crucial.

To learn more, visit their website at http://www.sadacenter.org/

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How to Help Your Child Make Better Food Choices

5/17/2015

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Sponsored by Elevation Burger Kuwait

One of the most important things parents can teach their young children is how to make healthy food choices. This includes how to shop for healthy food, how to prepare and cook healthy food and how to choose healthy food when eating out. In Kuwait’s modern society, eating out has become a part of social life and helping children from an early age make healthy food choices at home and at restaurants will help them maintain a healthy weight and live an active and healthy lifestyle.

A good yardstick to measure healthy restaurants by is the ‘open kitchen concept’. Essentially an open kitchen, such as that used by Elevation Burger, reflects a commitment by the restaurant to demonstrate openly and transparently for customers the food preparation and cooking process. It allows customers full view of the kitchen (which had traditionally been hidden from view) and showcases the process, the freshness and quality of ingredients. Elevation Burger’s open kitchen,policy also for example, allows customers full transparency and knowledge of the restaurant’s cleanliness, food preparation process in everything from how the French fries are cut and fried in clear, clean olive oil to how the organic grass-fed beef burgers are cooked over the grill.

Another important aspect of modern food choice that parents can teach children is to eat locally. Eating locally grown produce whenever possible helps support local farmers, reduces carbon emissions (which contributes to global warming) by reducing the transportation needed for products shipped from abroad and also encourages farmers to adopt sustainable, organic methods and techniques in their farming.

Elevation Burger supports this idea by sourcing its potatoes locally. In partnership with Kenanya Farms, Elevation Burger has encouraged the growth and production of organic potato farming in Kuwait. The first ton of potatoes received from Kenanya farms were 95% Urea-free (a common element in nitrogen fertilizer, urea can irritate the eyes, skin and respiratory tract). Elevation Burger’s longer term objective along with Kenanya and other local farms is use to produce100%organic potatoes locally.

5 tips for helping kids to make health food choices

1.      Involve your children in the food shopping. Read labels and discuss ingredients. Buy and eat as much fresh and locally produced food as possible.

2.      Teach children real kitchen skills from an early age. Let them help with age appropriate tasks and slowly increase their responsibilities/involvement in cooking.

3.      Eat meals as a family whenever possible.

4.      When eating out, choose restaurants that serve healthy, organic meals whenever possible, and explain to your kids why you have chosen this restaurant or meal.

5.      Model healthy eating habits and an active lifestyle. Children learn from what you do, not what you say so show them how to live and eat healthy by choosing healthy food options for yourself and your family.

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Family-Friendly Weekend Events in Kuwait: May 15-16

5/14/2015

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Plenty of great events happening this weekend in Kuwait for the whole family.

FRIDAY, May 15
1. Free #yoga with Vya @vyafree at Jamal AbdulNasser Park in Rawda @ 8am. Bring your own mat, water and towel

2. WhitExpo at The Avenues from 10am to 10pm. Ramadan shopping for all.

3. NEST (Nurture and Educate Students Today) is currently holding their second simulation which replicates living in the slums in India. The simulation is in Avenues until 19 May from 10am to 10pm. # الفارق_قلم . A must visit.

4. International Museum Day at Dar al Athar al Islamiyya from 4-10pm with arts, crafts, shopping, music, mosaics, sustainability lectures, charity clothing drive, organic food, handicrafts and more.

SATURDAY, May 16
5. Mindfulness session at @alshaheedpark with psychologist Kurt Dixon from Fawzia Sultan Rehabilitation Institute on Saturday at 8 am at the Circle of Peace. Session is free. Please bring your own mat.

6. Graffiti & Street Art workshop with Monstariam at #Spraybox. Free. This is part of the Urban Culture Week. WhatsApp 9747-3373 for details.

7. Mental Health Movie Night – The Hours – with Taqabal at 6:30pm at Spread The Passion @spreadpassion in Qortuba, blk 3, St 5, House 19.

8. Abolish 153 at Cap Kuwait group exhibition at 7pm will open at Contemporary Art Platform in Shuwaikh. Exhibition aims to create awareness regarding Article 153 of the Kuwait penal code which sanctifies the murder of female relatives (treating it as a misdemeanor, aka an ‘honor’ killing).

9. Yarnbombing in The Secret Garden Project for knitters and crocheters at 5pm. Bring your materials and come help us yarnbomb the trees in the Secret Garden. Located in Baghdad Park on Baghdad Street in Salmiya.

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7 tips for preventing 'summer slide'

5/10/2015

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Many moms have probably not heard about the dreaded ‘summer slide’. It’s a controversial theory, an idea that children – especially elementary and middle school aged kids – tend to lose reading and writing skills over the three months of summer due to a lack of engagement with texts.

The summer slide has proven controversial, with some research showing that upper income children experience virtually no slide at all and lower income children suffering summer slide only if their parents do not encourage summer reading (like taking them to the library and bookshops or enrolling them in the summer reading program.)

If you are a parent of a child who is an emergent reader or still struggling to master reading, writing and language than your child may suffer from the summer slide regardless of socioeconomic background.

To help out, we’ve compiled some tips on how to prevent summer slide and keep your kids engaged with reading and writing all summer long.

For Elementary and Middle School Students:

All students can benefit from a trip to the local library bookshop. There are libraries near many coops in Kuwait and moms can check here for a full list of local libraries and bookshops.

Parents of younger students can create a summer reading list with their children, and then reward them when they finish each book. Sign up for a summer reading program. Dar al Athar Al Islamiyya is planning a summer reading program as is the National Library and also Q8 Bookshop in Bayt Lothan. Parents can also sign their kids up online to one of the many ‘virtual’ summer reading programs.

Read to your kids every day. Try to set a goal of 20 minutes reading time and 20 minutes writing time. Make a game or challenge of it. Read stories and the write their thoughts about the stories. Ask them to make up their own story. (All stories need are very simple elements: character, setting, plot, a title and then a beginning, middle and end. You can also ask them to illustrate the story and do a ‘chapter’ a day or over the course of a week and incorporate different activities, ideas into the story to extend the learning.)
Let your child choose what they want to read – or be read to – for 30 minutes each day. Children are much more likely to engage in material that interests them rather than materials that are forced on them.
Use language and reading opportunities throughout the day. Talk often with your child and point out reading materials wherever possible: on menus, magazines and newspapers, signs, brochures, maps, guidebooks, smartphones, ipads, etc.
Make daily reading a social event. Get the whole family to join in with their own books or take turns reading the same book aloud. Include telling stories as well.
Connect reading to other summer events. If you take your child to the beach or pool, think about reading a book about fish or an underwater world before and afterward. This will place your child’s reading within a larger context.

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Why we co-sleep

5/5/2015

From the very beginning my husband and I have been proponents of the principals of attachment parenting. If you aren't familiar with attachment parenting, the basic concept is that physical contact and closeness between children and parents can have lasting positive impacts on the health, well being, confidence and happiness of the child.

In attachment parenting, there are four basic focus areas:
1. Co-sleeping
2. Feeding on demand
3. Holding and touching frequently (often attachment parents are seen using slings or wraps when out with baby)
4. Responsiveness to crying - as opposed to CIO methods.
- Source: Psychology Today. For more info:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201307/the-4-principles-attachment-parenting-and-why-they-work

We aren't militant APs as we both work and it was simply impossible to hold our kids all the time when they were babies. But we have co-slept with both girls since shortly after their births (taking the necessary precautions, of course).

After six years of what has become an increasingly crowded bed and routinely disrupted sleep, my hubby and I thought it was time to transition the children into their own beds. During the summer holidays, we decided, would be a good time and so we got a set of bunk beds and dressed them in new linens and bed covers. The first night we talked with both our girls about the transition. The bunks were set up in our bedroom so even though they would be in their own beds, they would still be in our room and close enough to hear us speak.

Needless to say, the idea failed to win them over. By the end of the night, both were back in our bed. The next night, I decided to go Super Nanny on them. I watched several episodes of the popular parenting show and decided that a soft but firm approach would have to work.

Super Nanny advises putting the children back to bed each time, throughout the night, even if it takes all night. Be soft but firm, keep conversation to a 'Good night, love' and don't engage when they whine, cry, throw tantrums, etc.

This sounds like great advice. But when you have a three year old who can throw up on demand and a six year old who can cry for an hour straight, its impossible to follow. I broke after just five minutes of hearing the three year old cry and her older sister begging for us to 'at least let her sister sleep with us.'

I planned to try again the next day. But in the morning, I overheard my three year old tell our nanny that: "Mommy wouldn't let me sleep with her because I was rude."

I don't know why she thought that. How she connected her being put into her own bed with bad behavior but the idea gutted me. I felt so guilty and as if I'd failed as a mom. I spent the rest of the day feeling guilty, pampering her and that night both girls were back in our bed.

So much for our adventures in separate sleeping.

The experiment led me to a question: Why do children so desperately want to sleep next to their parents? The most common answers I've read suggest that children want to sleep with us because: a. they are scared; b. its comforting and c. its natural and once they've gotten used to it, its hard to break the habit.

Those all seem reasonable to me. It is comforting and does feel more close and safe. It makes sense that its natural and I agree its a habit hard to break. But what is wrong with that? I know its stressful and difficult to co-sleep. Leave aside the lack of privacy and intimacy with your husband, there's also the reality that sleep is often more disturbed as the lot of you toss and turn.

But at the same time, having the kids feel safe and secure also matters. Going to bed shouldn't be a stressful and fearful event but something relaxing and happy to end the day. We won't continue to cosleep forever. Already our older girl is spending more and more nights in her own bed. And one day, I will miss them sleeping snuggled up next to me. Time flies and in just a few short years they will too old to snuggle with mom. It may not be easy (the only I've found about parenting that is easy is loving our kids) but for our family its worth it.

If you are planning to co-sleep, please make certain that the bed is safe for an infant or toddler and that you take all the recommended safety precautions. Also parents should never smoke in the house or bedroom around infants.

Sources for further reading:
Co-sleeping resources
Family bed safety checklist
Co-sleeping safety guidelines
Co-sleeping safety tips

Editor's Note: Originally posted in 2014, I am resharing at the request of a few moms in Kuwait now dealing with co-sleeping concerns.

Weekend Events in Kuwait: May 29-30

New Mom Panic

Help for Children with Hearing Impairments in Kuwait

How to Help Your Child Make Better Food Choices

Family-Friendly Weekend Events in Kuwait: May 15-16

7 tips for preventing 'summer slide'

Why we co-sleep

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