Bayt Lothan will host Monstariam's Graffiti Picnic on Friday 20 December from 3-9pm. I took my five year old for the last one and she had a blast. This time, Bayt Lothan are arranging a special section just for kids. 

Don't forget to check out Q8 Books while you are there and if you haven't picked up the Kuwait Moms Guide 2013 yet, find a free copy in the bookshop. 

Send us any photos you take of the event to kuwaitmoms@gmail and we will publish them here. 

Women do a thousand different jobs a day, moms do 10,000! Tell your mom how much you appreciate her or if you have a mom friend, remind her of how much she is appreciated. 

The US government will soon start requiring soap makers to show the long term safety of antibacterial soaps, after fears that their use may be fueling a rise in superbugs, reported the AFP.

Antibacterial soaps typically contain the chemicals triclosan and triclocarban, ”which may carry unnecessary risks given that their benefits are unproven,” the US Federal Drug Administration said in a statement. Some studies have shown these soaps may affect thyroid, estrogen, and testosterone function in lab animals, and that they may be boosting people’s resistance to common antibiotics.

“New data suggest that the risks associated with long-term, daily use of antibacterial soaps may outweigh the benefits,” said Colleen Rogers, a lead microbiologist at FDA. “There are indications that certain ingredients in these soaps may contribute to bacterial resistance to antibiotics, and may have unanticipated hormonal effects that are of concern to FDA.”

The FDA move would require studies that directly test the ability of an antibacterial soap to provide a clinical benefit over washing with non-antibacterial soap. - AFP

I place a lot of value on teaching my children to be resourceful. I want them to know how to cook, how to clean, how to think for themselves and how to solve problems and overcome challenges. (See my ultimate list of things to teach a child).  Sometimes its easier and quicker to just do it ourselves but letting a child figure out how to climb into the car seat or put on their shoes is the best lesson we can teach them. 

This week I'm teaching my daughters how to do yoga and for my five year old, how to tie her shoelaces. What will you teach your child this week?

Is your child ready for preschool? What should you look for in the perfect preschool? Get answers to these questions and more in the second issue of the Kuwait Moms Guide Newsletter coming out tomorrow. Sign up below to have a free copy sent directly to your inbox. 

We took the girls for a picnic and some time outside in the fresh air over the weekend. I love finding new parks in Kuwait (see the KMG list of great parks and playgrounds in Kuwait). 

I'm definitely adding this to the top of my list. Located in block three of Dahiya Abdullah al Salem, it has an age appropriate climbing structure with lots of slides, swings, rocking horses and a large grassy lawn with sidewalks perfect for kids bike riding. Also very clean and well maintained. Map

My daughter's school is having a book fair this week and of course I could not resist...the books are sold by SpectraWide Bookstore, a new children's bookshop in Salmiya. I ended up buying three very cool books, including one early reader, the classic Blind Men and the Elephant and two picture books. I am so happy that we are starting to have more children's bookshops in Kuwait. 

Research has shown that one of the most important things a parent can do to help a child learn language, prevent learning problems in school and ensure academic success is to read to them starting from an early age. Here's some tips for reading with your kids:

1. Make it a habit. I read to my girls every day. We do it for 20 minutes and I let them choose one or two books. (Some parents prefer only to read when the kids are going to bed but I do it at different times of the day so my kids will get the message that reading is an important daily activity.)

2. Let them choose books on subjects they like. I take the girls about once every two weeks to the bookstore (there are so many great places now in Kuwait to buy books for kids. Check the Kuwait Moms Guide 2013 for a full list of bookshops in the directory section). Children get more excited about reading if you give them ownership over what they read. 

3. Reading helps children develop concentration, vocabulary and empathy. Model the behavior you want your children to repeat by reading often yourself. 

4. Use reading to reinforce words, concepts and ideas they are learning in school. I recently got the Giving Tree from the used English bookshop in Salmiya, Q8 Books (at Bayt Lothan) which is great for reinforcing 'and', 'the', 'she' and 'was'. Its also a lovely story about love, sharing and generosity. 

5. Ask your child afterwards questions about the story. What did they like about it? What happened in the story? Can they repeat the beginning, middle and end? Learning to analyze and summarize story is a key aspect of academic learning and helping them start to think of books as stories they can think about is a great way to build their confidence and reading comprehension. 

SpectraWide is located in Salmiya in the same shopping building as Mothercare, Boots and Chicken Tikka next to Sultan Center. The bookstore is upstairs and is open Saturday - Thursday 10am to 2pm & 4pm to 10pm. and Fridays 2pm to 10pm. Telephone: 5054-4244 or 5054-4344. 

Khayt Group is organizing a campaign to collect crocheted hats for children of Syria. They will announce a deadline at a later date. You can call or What's App 9996-0005 for more information.