Caine’s Arcade – A little boy’s dream

I was checking out some local blogs this morning and stumbled on this video from Q8 Blend’s blog. Caine Monroy is a 9-year old boy who spent his summer vacation building an  DIY cardboard arcade in his dad’s used auto parts store. Day after day he would design, develop and create different arcade games using cardboard boxes and some of his old toys as prizes for his customers. It was his dream to have customers play at his arcade stations and one man made it all possible.

The imagination and creativity of children is limitless but as  parents specially here in Kuwait are we holding our children back ? Are we giving them everything on a silver platter ? Are we giving them the opportunity to be the best they can be ? Just a little something to think about.

After filming the video, the film makers created Caine’s Scholarship Fund & Caine’s Arcade Foundation

We posted the film with an initial goal of raising a $25,000 scholarship fund for Caine to help with his education. The first day the film was posted, over $60,000 was raised. A week later, we received a matching dollar-for-dollar seed funding grant of $250,000 from the Goldhirsh Foundation to help start the Caine’s Arcade Foundation to help more innovative kids.

There is so much good in the world and starting off with just one man, a total stranger has changed Caine’s life forever.

SMILE, BE THANKFUL, BE POSITIVE AND ALWAYS REMEMBER THERE IS NO LIMIT WHEN DREAMS ARE INVOLVED.

For more information about Caine’s Arcade visit his website here.

Birth to 12 years in 2 min. 45

I got all choked up watching this time lapse video because it just made me realize even more how fast my children are growing up. It is such a beautiful project.

 

Children hanging out of car windows!

As parents it is our job to keep our children safe. When I see kids hanging out of car windows I wonder to my self  how can a mother/father put their children in such risk ? Don’t they know that god forbid any sudden break while their children are hanging out the window would have tragic consequences ? I feel like a lot of parents don’t take car safety for their kids seriously. We see kids jumping around the car, sitting in the front seat, no seat belt, no car seat and to make matters worse have them hanging out of car windows. This is a daily scene in Kuwait and it makes me so mad!! Something has to be done about it.

 

Reduce, reuse and recycle

A fun little song to teach your kids about the meaning of reduce, reuse and recycle.

Via Elementary Matters

This is how I learn

How to make homework less stressful

Nodi goes into 1st grade next year and I’m already on panic mode. I have never been good in helping kids with their homework ( I practiced on my younger sister) I simply do not have the patience for it. Nodi has been getting some practice worksheets to do at home so I thought this would be a good way to start introducing homework and the rules that come along with it.  I have heard from numerous educators that kids that young  shouldn’t spend more than 30 minutes at a time doing their homework.

Let me just tell you, helping a 5.5 year old with his homework is a nightmare! Concentration is really short, he gets bored easily and anything, I mean anything distracts him.

If you have children who already started with homework everyday then here are 5 ways to make doing homework less stressful for you and your child.

1. Start as you mean to go on Establish good study habits from the beginning. As your child grows, the amount and difficulty of his homework will increase.
2. Set a time Make a regular time for homework and stick to it. If your child knows when to do her work, se will have a chance to prepare herself.
3. Pick a place Whether at the dining table or at a desk in his room, get your child to help you choose the best spot.
4. Limit distractions Switch off the television, turn off the radio and mute the mobile phone – your child needs to be able to give his work his full concentration.
5. Don’t take over In the early stages you will be integrally involved in your child’s homework, but try to let him do as much as possible by himself.

Source: Junior magazine

My little boy <3

It’s summer time

The weather is getting warmer by day and it’s time to get those bathing suits out. It is a great opportunity now to get the kids back in the pool and learn all the proper swimming techniques.

The Bully Project

Bully the documentary weaves together the stories of five families dealing with the long-term effects of school bullying in the United States— two that have recently lost their children to suicide and three that are experiencing it day in and day out. The Bully Project is the first feature documentary film to show how we’ve all been affected by bullying, whether we’ve been victims, perpetrators or stood silent witness. The world we inhabit as adults begins on the playground.

The Bully Project opens on the first day of school. For the more than 5 million kids who’ll be bullied this year in the United States, it’s a day filled with more anxiety and foreboding than excitement. As the sun rises and school busses across the country overflow with backpacks, brass instruments and the rambunctious sounds of raging hormones, this is a ride into the unknown.

After just watching the trailer my heart goes out to all the children and families that have been affected by bullying. As a mother  I would like to believe that I’am raising 2 wonderful boys who are confidant, secure , who will not give in to peer pressure and who will stand up to anyone who will even try to put them down. It is important to talk to your children, be involved in their daily life, ask questions about school, friends and activities  they do at recess. Make sure they know that you are there for them and that they can come and talk to you about anything and everything. Make sure they know that you will always be on their side and that they can trust you with any problem they have because we also have bullies in our schools.

For more information about The Bully Project visit their website here.

قصتي

:قصتي
نلتقي في عالم قصتي مع حنتوشة و حنتوش و أسرتهم الصغيرة، قصص تمثل واقع الطفل و تسبح معه للخيال في مواقف و مغامرات نلاحظها كمربين في حياه أطفالنا اليومية لتأتي القصص برسائل تربوية مباشرة و غير مباشرة، في عالم قصتي ستكون القصه محاكاة لعالم الأطفال من عمر ٤ إلى ٨ أعوام، هي ليست مجموعة قصص خيالية بل هي تفاصيل ترسم كل يوم قصه أطفالنا .. ليشعر كل طفل أن هذه القصة هي قصته …. و ليقول هذه قصتي

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