A world of Discovery

As the current poll suggests, I wanted to spend some time exploring activity options in Kuwait.  My first thought went straight to Discovery Mall.  The promise of a "developmental center for kids" made this a must-see!

As a space, Discovery Mall is organized and spacious, but does not necessarily have a child friendly, developmental or fun vibe to it as a whole.  Granted I am not an architect nor a designer, and perhaps I had my hopes up too high.

Having said that, there are enough child-friendly spaces within it to warrant it an excellent choice for parents with kids of all ages to go.  I will show you a break-down of my favorite spots, with age appropriateness.

Lets start with My Gym.  I absolutely LOVED this place.  I took a special little man with me and saw it in action (see picture below).  I would recommend the structured play for beginners (parent participation class).  There is a very enthusiastic instructor, who leads the kids during circle time, she also allows you to see all the materials that you could use within the gym.

The programs include:

• Structured/parent participation class
• Martial Arts and Karate classes
• Free Play- this is an opportunity for you to organize a play date with other parents kids.  As it is unstructured, if you are alone it is similar to playing at home.  But for those parents who have limited space at home for a play area, this is wonderful too.
• My Gym Camp
• My Gym Art-  Which many people do not know about as it is in an adjacent space.  Great space to play and create.

AGES: 6 weeks-13 years!

I am a stickler for safety!

Little man having a blast!

Next is a very cool space called:

Kuwait Flight Simulation Center  This center apparently caters to amateur and professional pilots.  For amateurs, the youngest age allowed is 13 years of age.  The place looks very intriguing and if I had the time, I would have strapped my self in and tried it.  For you parents who want an indoor space that your teenager might like, this is a great option!

AGES: 13+ (including adults)














The basement at Discovery Mall, also has a mini golf facility- Golfania.  The lighting was not very good, so I decided not to put any of the photos I took.  But again, great option for something indoors, active.  I could not find their website, but you can follow them on twitter @golfania2010.


AGE:  There was no sign about age that I could see, but obviously I would say no unattended young kids, and only bring kids that are able to play, and not run around trying to catch the ball with their hand:P


The top floor had many options as well, including:

Cozmo Bowling- which also has some air-hockey and pool tables.  This can be a great "family time" option, as it caters to most ages (not your tiny ones of course).

AGE: As soon as your child can swing that ball.

Goal!  an indoor football field, which is excellent!  The website is very professional and has information on all their activities, which include:
Goal ! Parties
Goal! Academy
Goal! Club

AGE: Depends on the activity.  Check their website.

PLAY, or PLAYTIME, is an indoor area for kids under 5.  It looked interesting from a distance, but I will have to see it when they have kids inside.

AGE: under 5

There are other areas and things to do at Discovery Mall, but these are the ones that caught my eye...


NOTE:  
As soon as I walked in Discovery Mall a sign caught my eye, but I will brief you on this wonderful club in a post very very soon!!!

To fight or not to fight?

                                          

One of my favorite health blogs, is National Public Radio's (NPR) blog,  SHOTS.  An article entitled "Pediatricians Put The Kibosh On Boxing", caught my attention.  It explained the dangers of boxing as a sport for kids.  The writer noted:

Citing the risk of injuries, including concussions, the American Academy of Pediatrics and its Canadian counterpart, the Canadian Paedeatric Society, have come out in opposition to boxing as a sport for children and adolescents.  Pediatricians should strongly discourage parents from letting their kids box and suggest sports "that do not encourage intentional head injuries," says a new policy statement from the two national groups for pediatricians. (link)

One might wonder, does that mean all combat sports are bad?  

There is never a right or wrong answer because these things are relative; it depends on how the sport is taught, which combat sport it is, what the child is like (aggressive vs. calm), the child's age, the guidelines established at home, the instructor's methods, etc.  I would argue, however, that the critical point here is intent.  Sports like taekwondo and Karate are fighting/combat sports, but many instructors focus on the self-discipline aspect, and do not encourage fighting aimlessly.  Boxing and wrestling, at least in my eyes, seem to carry the intent to harm, and children watching and practicing these sports, tend to act-out the sport more often. 

There is merit to some of these combat sports.  Children can build strong self-esteem and courage based on the experience.  With martial arts, many instructors focus on discipline, and an understanding of the body and mind.  They teach children to think before they act.  But the fact remains that it is a form of fighting, and some children are encouraged to rough play at home with their siblings and sometimes fathers.  Without proper guidelines, these children may transfer these lessons to the schoolyard and classroom. 

                                                    

What are your experiences?  

Disciplined... Part 2

Misbehavior, rule breaking and/or tantrums are an inevitable part of growing up. Sometimes it is an attempt (by the child) at gaining control; an attempt at mastery. Other times it is an experiment of "what will mama/baba do".  This can be intentional, as we can see from the video below, or not.  This post is targeting intentional and repetitive attempts by your child to misbehave.

With teenagers it is no different. They may not lie down on the floor and scream, but they still seek attention, experiment with breaking the rules, and seek ways of expressing that they have grown, and that rules may need to change.  This might be a time when renegotiating the rules is helpful.

As aforementioned in the previous post, structure and discipline are necessary. Discipline is not just about rewards, nor is it only about punishments. We need to start with having a set of rules and guidelines for our children to follow, we then need to be role models. For younger children these rules have to be short and clear; and we need to keep a reminder of these rules.  We should remember to use positive reinforcement when our children are doing well. When they are not, we give chances (or warnings) to allow them to correct their mistakes. If our child is being stubborn, we use punishments, or as I would rather say, consequences to teach them discipline. (I will use punishment in this post because it is more familiar and recognizable).

Punishments/ consequences:

• Punishments, like rewards, need to be immediate. (i.e. Do not punish a behavior exhibited at the beginning of the week, by taking away something on the weekend).  This can be an exception with teenagers, who are able to wait and you may postpone a punishment.

• Punishments need to be short. Elongating punishment will only decrease its effectiveness. (i.e. take away the game for an hour instead of a week).

• Punishments need to be age-appropriate. (i.e. Time-out for younger kids vs taking away privileges for older children).  Please use the term "thinking chair" instead of "naughty chair".  Remember we are trying to promote positive thinking and behavior.

• Talk to your child not at your child.  Try to kneel down and maintain eye contact.

• Clarify that you are punishing the behavior and not the child.  Show your child love even in those tough moments.

• For educational, safety and emotional reasons I will have to mention that I am adamantly against corporal punishment (physical punishment).  This is always a sensitive topic, especially in this part of the world.  As the cartoon below shows, it only teaches the child to be aggressive, and to avoid an act out of fear, and not conviction).

Corporal Punishment

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      This video might make you laugh, break your heart, or allow you to sigh and say "yippee! Its not only my boy who does that!"...  It does, however, show us that intentional and manipulative behavior starts at a very young age.

Play Poll Results

As one poll closes another opens:P

Most of you reported playing with your child DAILY! A round of applause for all of you... So why is it hard for some parents to play?

Well, with older children it becomes much more difficult to find the time, or relate to their interests.  Try alternating between what they would like to play and what you would like to by teaching them a new game.  Cards and board games are usually fun and enjoyable for both adults and kids.  I am on the look-out for the best places to find board games in Kuwait... (I am BIG fan of board games)

There are also some parents who have difficulty "letting go" and being silly.  It is understandable.  Try initially to do the activities you are more comfortable with, like putting nail polish on your little girl, or hide and seek with your son.  Arts and crafts or baking are also fun activities that can still be considered play without requiring a large dose of silliness.  You may want to try active games like jump rope, balloon and ball games as well as swimming.

For parents who have difficulty finding the time, especially fathers, don't fret.  Use driving time to play things like word games (e.g. find the names of cities/cars/other starting with the letter "N").  Play a game with all the family instead of one-on-one.  Find short fun games before their bed-time routine, like "the staring game" where you win if you do not blink or "straight face game" of not laughing no matter how silly the other person is.  

Remember to have fun! Your child will be happiest when you are happy.

Have a love-filled day and take the time to vote on the new poll :)  

Little Mr. Angry

How do you usually deal with your little angry child?  

Call it tantrums or "terrible twos"...We often feel powerless and embarrassed by our young child's temper outbursts.  This post is targeting verbal kids around the ages of 3-6 years.  Here are some tips to try with your Mr. Angry...  

• Make sure your child is not hurting himself or others around him.  If he is, hold him close and whisper calming words to him.
• Label his feeling, e.g. "I know you are angry", then allow your child to express it in a safe environment.
• Consistency is key, do not give in to the tantrum and you will soon see it subside.
• Have your child express anger by squeezing some play-dough, punching a newspaper (one sheet) or pillow, or by playing a physical game.
• Distract your child by attracting him to an activity.
• Walk away when you feel unable to control your own anger.  Tell your child you will talk to him after he calms down.