Ruiru Rehabilitation Centre

Everyone approaches homeschooling with a different perspective. Some approach it with fear and trepidation; others with excitement and enthusiasm; others feel backed into a corner with no other options; and still others look forward to homeschooling as a way to invest more into their children.

Examine each point carefully and look honestly at yourself and your teaching style. Not every mistake will apply to you—that will depend on your personality and approach—but all can easily occur without warning!

1.Over Scheduling

I will never forget my first year of homeschooling. My children were involved in art classes, gymnastics, classes at the zoo, science center classes, chorus, piano lessons, physical education classes, and community sports. On the one day per week that we did not have scheduled events, we would get together with fellow homeschooling families for field trips, writing classes (which I taught), and/or just for a fun time.

I have never been so frazzled in my life! We would cram in our studies in the morning, then load up the car to head out to our daily routine.

I can’t remember who burned out first—the kids or me, but I do know we burned out. Soon those creative moments of science experiments, creative writing fun, and history projects were a thing of the past and we became a slave to our activities schedule.

The key: limit yourself to one or two activities at a time and make schooling a priority. When you have more time to commit at home, schooling can become much more enjoyable!

2.Under Scheduling

Over scheduling can be a nightmare, but under-scheduling can also have its detriments. Kids need variety and opportunities to be with others their own age. There are so many learning opportunities out there!

Find what activities work for your family and take advantage of them. There are many opportunities out there through local museums, art schools, YMCAs, support groups, colleges, churches, and historical sites.

A great idea that worked for us was to get together with several other homeschooling families and plan out a year’s worth of field trips—one per month. We then assigned one to each parent to organize, picked the dates (which we all reserved), and looked forward to our once a month outing. On occasion, we would also get together at a local playground or state park for another day of fun or learning.

This smaller network allowed us to support each other on a more personal basis and to feel free to call on another when we needed encouragement or ideas.

3.Unrealistic Expectations

It is so easy to fall into the trap of unrealistic expectations. I have met many a homeschool Mom who was upset because her three-year old was not reading yet or because her sixth grade son was not succeeding in Algebra I. I have watched as families tackle huge projects trying to cram a whole year of World History into one quarter and plan a World History Fair to culminate the experience. These are the same parents and kids who are burned out by Christmas and struggling to make it through each day!

One the other hand, I have also seen families who decide to home school with no direction, no formal home school curriculum, and no real goals in mind.

Students will live up to your expectations and if none exist, they will quickly adapt and really enjoy themselves for a time. However, by Halloween, kids long for the structure of school and parents are thinking that the ghosts and ghouls knocking on their door look much more appealing than their bored and antsy children.

The individualized instruction that homeschooling provides opens up the door for students to master concepts much quicker than in a classroom full of distractions. However, it also makes it very easy to coast through the year without really accomplishing anything.

The answer to this struggle is planning.

4.A Disorganized School Room

There is nothing more frustrating than the inability to put your fingers on what you need when you need it. This is especially true when you are trying to keep your children current with their schoolwork.

The inability to find a pencil, a working eraser, a textbook or workbook, dictionary, calculator . . . . you get the picture. These are all extremely frustrating and when piled up can make for a very difficult start to a day.

I recommend you commit an entire day at the beginning of the school year to organizing your home school room. Engage your children in the task—let them decide how to organize their supplies.

Store away your teacher’s guides and answer keys—preferably in a file drawer so they are always at your fingertips and organize the curriculum in a sequence that makes sense.

The more time you devote ahead of time to organizing, the less wasted time throughout the school year searching for items you know “are around here somewhere!”

5.Avoiding Breaks to Allow for a Shorter Day

This is a biggie! We all do it—it seems like such a wonderful thing to tell our kids. “Hey, if you can just get this all done this morning, we will have all afternoon with no school!” Guess what? Across the board, homeschooling kids are saying, “We’d rather have a break!”

Let me share some personal experiences. I am ashamed to say, I fell into this one very badly my first year of homeschooling. At the beginning of the school year, I was really good about taking breaks—even heading outside with my children to play baseball, catch, soccer, volleyball, tag . . . you name it. My favorite time for one of these breaks was when one of the kids was struggling, grumpy or looking tired, or when I found myself overwhelmed with the mess around me.

I would announce, “RECESS TIME!” and we would head outside for a good 20 minutes of fun. It never ceased to amaze me how easy it was to get back to a difficult task after a quick breather.

Suddenly, it was essential for my kids to finish up their work in the morning so we could have the afternoon free and breaks became a thing of the past.

I never realized just how frustrating this must have been for my kids until a recent homeschool graduate put it on her top ten list. Sure enough, my kids hated it! To them the tradeoff was not worth it. A “free” afternoon after a grueling morning was not of value to them.

To avoid this one: schedule regular breaks and take them whether you think you need them or not and be sure to spend at least one break enjoying your kids!

In the end a more relaxed longer day is better than a crammed short day any day!

6.Becoming a Slave to Your Home School Curriculum

Another big mistake I made my first year of homeschooling was to allow my curriculum to drive me. Even on days when it was obvious that my kids just weren’t getting it, I would push them to complete the assignments we had determined were appropriate for that day.

When I finally learned to back off, our homeschooling became much more effective. On days when my fifth grader just could not quite figure out how to reduce fractions to the lowest common denominator, we would take a break and move on to something else. Although in some cases, we did not even return to math that day, more often than not, we found that waiting until the evening when the hustle and bustle of the day was over worked much better! At that time, she could sit down and breeze through the math concepts that were impossible just a few hours earlier.

In some cases, you may need to abandon an entire course and try a different approach. Now, don’t be too quick to make this decision—too many of these decisions can be costly. Take the time to really evaluate whether it is the homeschool curriculum or your misuse of it that is causing the struggle.

Sometimes it just takes a fresh look or slowing down a little to make a course work better for you. But if you find that something just does not work, don’t be afraid to set it aside or pass it on to someone else.

On the other hand, don’t make the mistake of rushing your children through a study that they are passionate about! Take the time to allow them to pursue it further.

Bottom line: watch and learn from your kids and adapt as necessary. Don’t become a slave to your home school curriculum.

7.Doing it Alone

So many homeschooling Moms try to do it alone. Once the curriculum decisions have been made and the curriculum is in their hands, they begin the process of schooling . . . on their own.

Sometimes pride keeps them from asking for advice when things get tough; sometimes just the overwhelming task of schooling the children makes it difficult to seek out socialization opportunities; sometimes, it is the misperception that “That is the way it is for homeschoolers.”

This is a huge danger! Irrevocably, Moms who try to do it alone become frustrated and very lonely. Do you find yourself keeping the telemarketer on the phone as long as you possibly can? Does your UPS man find it difficult to escape from your front door after delivering a package? YOU NEED SOCIALIZATION!

IT is just as important for you as it is for your kids.

Socialization for a homeschooling Mom means a sounding board for ideas, advice from those who have been through it before, friendships that allow us to be ourselves, an easy way to share or access information and ideas, a terrific venue to pass on newly discovered educational events or opportunities . . . all absolutely necessary for Moms who are investing so much into their children.

Support groups, homeschool publications, seminars, homeschool conferences, memberships, classes . . . all of these are terrific ways for homeschooling families to socialize with other children and adults.

Don’t ignore this! This will make or break your homeschooling endeavors.

8.Super Mom Syndrome

This was probably the most difficult part of homeschooling for me. Days when my friends would say, “Walking into your home is like walking into an Ethan Allen Showroom” were long gone.

Trying to keep those same standards is like trying to rake leaves into a pile in the middle of a tornado.

Face it: your home will never be the same. Your meals will not always be healthy, your errands will not always be run, your bills may be late, and your bathrooms may not always sparkle.

But take a deep breath and remember:

1. You live in your house all day

2. Your kids are in your house all day

3. You school in your house

4. You use your walls as a display for charts, projects, lessons, maps, time lines, motivations, and more.

5. You do not have a large classroom to keep all of your studies in—books and educational materials will naturally take over your home.

6. You use your desk for more than paying bills, checking e-mail, and surfing the net.

If you are going to survive this homeschooling experience, you must learn to lower your standards!

9.Ignoring the Input of your Children

It is so easy to get so wrapped up in your plans and ideas that you forget to check with your children. This can be especially challenging for Moms who were teachers or who served in a managerial role. Part of the beauty of homeschooling is that it can be a two way street.

You set up the boundaries, then, allow your kids some freedom within those boundaries.

Your willingness to bounce ideas off of your kids and to really consider their input will mean so much to them . . . and you might be surprised at what they come up with!

10.Fear of the Internet

Let’s face it—the Internet can be dangerous! There is so much out there that we do not want our children to see and so many people out there we do not want them to meet!

However, there is also a wealth of information out there that is absolutely invaluable to any homeschooling program. From educational and interactive games, to live cam pictures of our solar system, the possibilities are endless.

And if you know where to go, you can tap into homeschool resources and instruction that will never run dry!

If you believe that adults can suffer from identity theft or be mislead by online criminals, imagine what children can experience in case their online surfing time is not properly guided. In fact, parents should know that when children are online, it is just like they are out in public. Thus, educating kids and monitoring their online surfing time can save parents from the anguish of having to deal with an uncomfortable situation later.

Exposed to a variety of stimuli, children today are able to surf and visit websites, portals, enter chat rooms or participate in online games. Since technology has brought a tremendous shift in children’s recreational time, kids should be taught that when they are talking with someone in a chat room or an instant message session, they are actually interacting with strangers unless they know in person the other party from the “real” world, like their school class or sports team.

A number of social studies reveal a shocking number. One in 4 children between the ages of 10 and 17 are exposed to sexually explicit imagery and nearly 20 percent has received an unwanted sexual solicitation during the past year. Although “kids are tough” and are not deeply hurt by these experiences as they consider them as a forbidden “fun” game between peers, a number of parents have reported that their children have been clearly disturbed by these type of online exposures. Surely, apart from the kids, parents are also extremely annoyed by the fact that unwanted exposures to porn and suitors have entered their kids’ lives through the virtual reality of a computer screen. But the fact remains that even when children are not looking for these kind of information online, they can readily find such material accidentally and then not to know how are they supposed to react.

The situation for parents seems very difficult and organizations, or administrative units like the Commission on Online Child Protection, have been examining the subject of online children protections in great extend. The problem is that safety issues and moral issues tend to overlap and while parents agree that their children online safety is among the top priorities on their list, they have not yet reached a stage of mutual agreement of their concerns or a reasonable and effective strategy to limit the chances of their kids being exposed to such kind of unwanted imagery or solicitations.

As no single solution currently exists, it is imperative for parents to educate their kids and explain that the internet is just like a city street with interesting parks and happy people but also full of dangerous characters and speedy drivers. Since identity can be hidden or even altered while one is online it is crucial to make sure your children understand not to reveal any information about their identity or whereabouts that would allow someone to track them down. Of course that means that no names, addresses, phone numbers, school or parents’ work locations and e-mail addresses. Finally, it is important for kids never to get together alone with someone they meet online. If for whatever reason, your child feels that it is absolutely imperative to get together with someone that they have “met” online, make sure it’s in a public place, like a restaurant, at a reasonable hour and that a parent is present. Although this does not give you much assurance that everything will go well, you will at least be able to check the person’s age, gender and demeanor.

Excerpt
The following is an excerpt from the book The Ultimate New York Diet
by David Kirsch
Published by McGraw-Hill; October 2006;$24.95US/$29.95CAN; 0-07-147582-6
Copyright © 2006 David Kirsch

One Formal Walk and Many Informal Walks
Devote time to one major walking (or running or some other type of cardio) session at least a few times a week. Start with whatever amount of time you can physically maintain, increasing the duration each week by about five minutes. Do intervals for most of your walk. That means doing bursts of faster walking (or running, depending on your fitness) that will seriously increase your heart rate and work your muscles to the max. You can do your intervals outside or on a treadmill. Start by walking (or jogging) five minutes at your usual pace to warm up. Then alternate two minutes of faster walking or running with two minutes of recovery walking or running. Your faster pace should feel like an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10 in intensity, and your easy pace should be a 4 or 5. If you prefer to cycle, row, or do some other form of cardio, go right ahead, alternating two minutes of faster-paced work with two minutes of recovery exercise.

In addition to a formal daily walk, take numerous miniwalks throughout the course of the day.

Adding Steps For . . .
Here are some ways to add a few daily miniwalks, depending on your lifestyle.

Busy Parents with Young Babies. Nearly all infants love riding in a stroller. More often than not, the stroller will soothe your baby to sleep. As an added bonus, if you have a colicky baby, your stroller time may be your only quiet time during your day. I knew one mother whose colicky baby cried from 3:00 P.M. to midnight on most days. She often put the baby in a stroller and walked a half-mile loop around her neighborhood — over and over again. Without fail, the screaming always stopped by the time she reached the end of the driveway, giving her the entire walk to collect her thoughts and wits before returning home. If you have more than one child, bring the older one along on your walks or walk with the baby around the playground while keeping an eye on the older one playing on the equipment.

In addition to giving yourself some needed quiet time, daily walks with your infant will help you to reduce stress and lift your mood, which can help fight off the postpartum blues that stem from shifting hormone levels. You’ll also bathe yourself and your baby in sunlight, which, research shows, will help you both to sleep better at night, particularly if you take a morning walk.

In addition to burning calories by walking, you’ll also tone your chest and arms as you push the stroller, especially if you take things uphill.

Start with an infant stroller that allows you to place your baby in a car seat facing you. This provides your baby more comfort, as many newborns don’t particularly like being flat on their backs. It also provides a better vantage point for you to see what your baby is doing. By around six months, when your baby can sit upright, you can progress to a jog stroller, which is lighter and easier to maneuver than the typical baby stroller.

For a little more variety, consider taking things off road by placing your infant in a front-style or backpack baby carrier, depending on his or her age. This adds weight to your body, forcing your legs to work harder. As with the stroller, your infant will probably fall asleep in the pack, giving you needed quiet time.

If you are stuck indoors on a rainy day, you can still sneak in more steps. Put your infant in a sling or baby carrier and walk up and down the steps in your home or apartment. Or, drive to an indoor mall and power walk as you window-shop.

Busy Parents with Children Age One and Older. Some parents tell me that their children at around age one just say “no” to the stroller, backpack, and bike trailer. These on-the-go children simply don’t want to be contained. If that’s the case, I strongly encourage you to carve out some “you” time where you can get in a longer, uninterrupted walk at a brisk pace. Perhaps you can share babysitting with another parent. One day you watch the kids so your friend can have some child-free time. On another day he or she watches them so you can walk or run.

Consider forming a walking club for other parents with young children. Meet at a nearby track or park. Everyone should bring blankets, toys, and, of course, children. During each meeting, one or two parents sit it out to supervise the kids while the other parents walk or run. Use these additional ideas to sneak in more steps:

Play chase and other active games. Encourage your son or daughter to chase you around the yard or house and vice versa. As your children age, take part in the active games they devise. Join in on tag, baseball, soccer, and other games rather than sitting and watching.
Take a nature walk. Young children love the outdoors. Head to a nearby park and meander. In addition to allowing your toddler or older child to expend some energy, you’ll be able to teach him or her about trees, leaves, plants, flowers, and other aspects of nature. You’ll also build your patience as your child stops every few steps to inspect leaves, sticks, and other treasures.
Go up and down the steps. Most toddlers are fascinated by stairs. Rather than always gating them off, every once in a while open the child-safety gate and encourage your toddler to climb up and down while you follow close behind. This allows your toddler time to practice an important skill as you also get in some active time.
Use a wagon. If your toddler hates the stroller, you might have some luck pulling him or her in a wagon, especially if you pack it full of stuffed animals and set off on a fun adventure. Head downtown and pull your child around Main Street or the mall. Let him or her out as needed.
People Who Work Lots of Hours at a Desk Job. Many of my clients spend more time at work, thinking about work, and getting ready for work than they do any other activity. Even when they’re not in the office, they generally are still working either by cell phone or notebook computer — or both. I often ask them what they do to stay active during the day, and here I’ve compiled some of their tricks.

Take a break. No matter how stressed you feel to get a project completed, take at least two breaks a day, one in the morning and one in the midafternoon. During this 5 to 10 minutes of nonwork time, go for a brisk walk around the office or — if possible — outside. This 5- to 10-minute session will not only help you burn a few extra calories but will also recharge your mental and physical batteries. On top of these two official breaks, take a walk break whenever you find yourself spinning your wheels. All of us have segments during the day when our brains partially shut down, whether we like it or not. A brisk walk helps lift the brownout, sharpening your brain for the rest of the day.
Hold a conference walk. Walk with colleagues to brainstorm or solve problems. Movement has a way of simultaneously opening up the creative mind while shutting down the critical mind. Those folks who annoy you during meetings because they seem to talk just to hear the sound of their own voices? They’ll be less likely to do so while in motion. The walk-and-work session will help keep everyone on track — no pun intended.
Use the least important parking space. Who cares that you clawed your way to the top in order to get the chosen space with your name on it right next to the office door? Park your car in the spot farthest away from the door and hoof it in. The short, brisk walk will help wake you up in the morning, readying you to face the day. Follow this mind-set no matter where you need to park your car. As one of my clients, Christine Capulong, puts it, “Rather than wasting my time circling a parking lot in search for a space closest to the store, I instead look for the space closest to the entrance of the lot.” She also never takes elevators, mounting stairs two at a time.
Discuss matters in person. I’m not sure when it became commonplace for workers to call or e-mail each other rather than speak face-to-face. When you need something from someone in your office, make it a point to get out of your chair and physically place yourself in the same space as the person you are talking to. Not only will this help you to log more steps, but you’ll also be more likely to effectively get your point across when you can use body language and tone of voice in addition to your actual words.
If you dine out for lunch, walk to your destination. Pick some dining spots 10 to 15 minutes away, and walk to and from lunch.
People Who Travel for Business. Although you can’t help but remain motionless during a certain part of the travel experience, you probably have more opportunities to sneak in steps than you think. Consider the following tactics.

Never use the moving walkways. Store your luggage in an airport locker, or invest in a backpack carry-on. This allows you to more comfortably walk the concourses. Also, invest in comfortable travel shoes. Timberland and other companies now make fashionable dress shoes with comfortable rubber soles designed for airport navigation. Once you have the right shoes and luggage, you can more easily take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator (you’ll probably have them to yourself and can avoid the crowds).
Move in the morning. As soon as you arrive at your destination, take a walk. This will help to prevent jet lag. Then, especially if you’ve skipped multiple time zones, follow up with a brisk walk or hike early during your first morning at your destination. Your morning walk will help to reset your body clock to your new time zone.
Go prepared. Pack one of your favorite exercise books or DVDs (mine will always work in a pinch), and if your room does not have a DVD player (check ahead of time), you can always watch the program on your laptop.
People Who Are on Vacation. Although many people backslide during their vacations, I personally think your time off from work and away from home is the easiest time to sneak in fitness. Each vacation destination will offer up its unique set of touristy ways that can keep you fit on the road. If you are staying near a lake or pond, look into paddleboat, canoe, or rowboat rentals. If you are staying in snow-capped mountains, look into skiing, snowshoeing, and snow hiking. If you’re at the shore, try some bodysurfing, bodyboarding, paddleball, beach football (my favorite), and beach volleyball. If you’re staying at a vacation home, see if there’s a horseshoe pit and start up a game. Walk on the beach. Wade through the hotel swimming pool. Consider the following options.

Take walking breaks during road trips. If you are driving to your destination, stop every few hours at a town park, playground, or restaurant with a play area. Allow your children to romp around as you walk. Or, join in with them by playing tag or kicking a ball.
Take an active cruise. Some large ships house pools, golf simulators, rock walls, basketball hoops, fitness centers, jogging and walking areas, and instructor-led fitness classes. During your sea and land excursions you can burn calories as you snorkel, swim, hike, scuba dive, and horseback ride. While on a cruise in Turkey, I started every morning doing push-ups and sit-ups and taking a morning swim followed by an invigorating hike. One hour under the Turkish sun made breakfast taste that much more delicious and worthwhile.
Walk everywhere. You can get in plenty of unstructured exercise by walking as you sightsee. One of my clients, Sabina, arrived in France about a week before her wedding. She spent each morning walking the French countryside. “It helped me to connect with my environment,” she said. Stroll through your destination’s downtown, the local zoo, and other destinations. If you’re staying in a city, walk the streets to pick your nightly restaurants rather than relying on the hotel staff, phone book, or travel guide. Check out menus and make your reservation. You can easily get in three hours of walking a day just by seeing the sights on foot.
Schedule an educational vacation. Wrap your entire vacation around an activity, such as learning to sail, ski, swim, hike, or play a sport. Travel agents can hook you up with any number of vacation packages that will keep you active and satisfy your yen for knowledge. If you have children, look for packages that include excavating dinosaur bones and other anthropological expeditions.
Sign up for an adventure vacation. Numerous companies will not only help you stay in shape while you are on vacation, they’ll help you get in the best shape of your life. For example, one adventure travel company, Backroads, organizes cycling, kayaking, and hiking trips all over the world. Another company, Trek Travel, organizes cycling trips through Tuscany, Provence, and Denmark, among many other destinations. Many of these companies offer gentle, intermediate, and hard-core excursions, matching their adventure vacations to your fitness level and skills.

Copyright © 2006 David Kirsch

Author
David Kirsch is the founder and owner of the Madison Square Club, celebrated for its custom-designed fitness training and nutritional counseling. Visit David’s website at davidkirsch.com.

When your child turns 16, it is almost a certainty that the first worlds out of their mouth will be “When can I get my drivers license?”

While this is a milestone in your child’s life, it is important that they understand the importance of getting a driver education and realize that along with a drivers license comes great responsibility.

Depending on which state you live in, a learner’s permit can be obtained when your teenager is around 15. In order for them to get the license, they need to meet a certain criteria, which includes a specific amount of driving time.

When your child is ready for driver education, it is important that they have the right attitude. They need to understand that a driver’s license is a responsibility that is not to be taken lightly. They need to understand that they cannot have a nonchalant attitude. This could affect their chances of obtain a license if the instructor feels that your teenager is not taking the class seriously.

Although it is cool to show off, it is not going to help you get your license if you are eating or talking on your cell phone when you are behind the wheel. It is an absolute certainty that your instructor will not think it is cool.

When you enroll in driver education, it is important your states department of motor vehicles certify the school.

These schools are up to date on all of the rules and laws of the state in which you live, and can teach you everything you need to know to become a safe driver. Driving school instructors have to pass painstaking tests in order to be licensed to teach.

Parents of teenage drivers can help in getting driver education. They are encouraged to take their child out driving. The more road time they log, the more secure they will feel driving. It not only gives them confidence, it also gives you piece of mind knowing that they are safe drivers.

Patience is the key factor in driving with your teenager. If you are high strung and nervous, it will affect the driver. If you feel that you cannot drive with your teenager have the other parent or friend drive with them.

Before you let your teenager get behind the wheel, it is important that they know the rules of the road and what each street sign signifies. Make sure they study the drivers’ manual and quiz them often. He or she is bound to be a little nervous when they drive with you they want to impress you. If they forget what a sign means do not make a big deal of it, simply study with them when you get home.

An empty parking lot is the perfect place for your child to practice driving and get used of the car being used. This is especially important if your car and the driver education cars are of different models.

Make sure your child understands what to do in case of an emergency. This is crucial especially if they are driving and their tire goes flat.

Summary:

Driver education will teach your teenager the rules of the road as well as how to become a safe defensive driver. Quiz them often, even if it is a quick trip to the store, ask them questions about driving. It is important that you be supportive and not critical of the abilities. Building confidence is a major factor when it comes to teenagers and driving. If they make a mistake, let them know and continue to let them drive.

If you manage to download the videos I have posted on this blog, you will realise that there are street children everywhere. Luckily her in Ruiru at least some of them have found shelter. At present there are only about 36 children being cared for, but with your help there is space for many more. The Ruiru Rehabilitaton Center has managed to purchase a plot of 4 acres. Enough space to build a large home for many many children. They just lack the funds to do so.
Building houses in Kenya is still comparably cheap and just a few pounds or dollars could make this project the success it deserves.
So please donate. You can do this directly through their website or use this blog to donate through PayPal.
Every penny can be traced and will go directly to the center.

Technorati Tags: Kenya, Rehabilitation, Streetchildren

This is the first part of the documentary, “Forgotten Angels,” about the street children of Haiti and the work of Michael Brewer, founder of Haitian Street Kids, Inc. Street kids everywhere in the world have hard lives but the situation of street children in Haiti beggars the imagination. This video is a little dated (2001) and the situation in Haiti has changed for the worse. Michael Brewer’s project is in desperate need of istance. Please visit his website to find out more about modern slavery on the doorstep of America and its tragic outcomes. Make a donation. Make a difference. http://www.haitianstreetkids.com/

Presented by: http://streetkidnews.blogsome.com

Duration : 0:9:42

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Technorati Tags: brewer, children, haiti, haitianstreetkids.com, kids, michael, restavec, slave, street

Trailer for documentary about the street children of Kinshasa. See http://drcongochildren.org for more information.

Presented by: http://streetkidnews.blogsome.com

Duration : 0:3:55

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There is always a great fun involve in doing things together.A Block party is one of them where all the children, Moms and Dad come together to have fun and enjoyment. Find out the tip on how to arrange such a big party.

Did you ever hear of block parties? Let us recommend them. They are something different in the way of parties. We live in a new district and, like many new districts, there are many children. In our block the children are all about the same age, and as a result the parents and children have become well acquainted.

Children have birthdays, and birthdays mean parties first one home and then another. The novelty had worn off. Was not there something new and entirely different to do? We all got together to plan and the block-party idea was born.

Our house became Union Station for the evening. At six o’clock the travelers (children) arrived ready for the first part of their journey. Under the care of the Conductor and Engineer (entertainment committee) all embarked for Hawaii (a neighbors house across the street). In true Hawaiian style each guest was presented with a paper flower lei to wear for travel. While the guests nibbled slices of fresh pineapple and crackers the young hostess, who belongs to a dancing class, entertained with a Hawaiian dance.

Next came the long trip to China. Here Chinese lanterns were everywhere. By lantern light the travelers ate big plates of Chow-Mien on the spacious back porch. Then they hit the road again for Turkey, that land of romance and mystery. Entering the home of the Sultan, the travelers were cordially welcomed by the sons and daughters of the household, who were attractively dressed in Turkish costumes. A serving of date pudding completed the ample meal the travelers had gathered along the way.

Then followed an uneventful passage to America and incidentally a visit to an Indian village (another home). Here Heap Big Chief and his tribe gave their Indian dances, showed their wonderful rugs, beads and weapons, and for a finish served some of their native food, Popped Corn.

On the wing again a flying trip to Union Station, point of departure to play some games children in other countries enjoy.

First came a Chinese game called Dragons Tail. All the children lined up, hands on shoulders of the child ahead. The first child became the head of the dragon and the last the tail. The hostess called out, one-two-three-go! At the signal the head tried to catch the tail. In and out around the amusement room wove the dragon (line of youngsters), the head trying valiantly to tag the tail. The whole body moved with the head and remained unbroken. If the head caught the tail that child continued to be head. If the body broke first, he became the tail. The very minute someone let go, the Dragon died. This Chinese game was strenuous and hilarious.

After this exciting game it was good to sit quietly in a circle. Indian corn was used for this popular Indian game. One child hid the kernels of corn in one of his hands, and standing before another child in the circle said, Guess how many? He asked his question first of one child and then of another in the group until he had been all around the circle. Of course, the child who guessed the correct number, or the nearest correct, won, and became ‘IT’ for the next game.