Set several guidelines to protect students from any harm

Experts warn against leaving children “prey” on electronic devices during vacation

The mechanisms of investing leave positively have positive effects extending to the son and his behavior.

From the source

Parents of students and educational experts have identified mechanisms through which students can benefit from the first semester leave, warning against leaving children exposed to electronic devices, social media and digital games for long periods of time, which may negatively affect them.

The educational expert, Director of the National Charitable School in Ajman, Dr. Maher Rashid Hattab, said that the end of the first semester leave is very important in various educational, recreational and social aspects.

He added to «Emirates Today»: «The vacation periods help implement and apply life curricula that enhance the values ​​and skills that students learn during school hours, especially since the most dangerous thing that students are exposed to during the vacation period is being alone in planning to spend their vacations within the capabilities available to them, and this gives them an opportunity Sticking to electronic devices for the purpose of playing games, watching useful and harmful programs, and communicating with others in the absence of parental and educational control.

Hattab stressed that the seriousness of this matter lies in the negative effects that befall children through the long periods they spend with the device and the consequent damage to the sense of sight and a deviation in the normal and correct growth of the body’s organs, especially the back and neck, in addition to the expected harm from the type of programs watched and people. Those who communicate with them. If all this is done in the absence of parental and educational control, it is possible to imagine the type of new culture that students have acquired, the ideas that have been planted in their minds, and the acquired behaviors that have leaked to them.

In turn, a psychologist and behavioral guide for children and adolescents, Dr. Badriya Al-Dhanhani, stressed the need to find an alternative for students to spend the winter vacation period, and identified necessary guidelines to be applied during the vacation period in order to avoid any harm to children during that period.

And she warned of the need for full knowledge of healthy electronic use, so that parents have complete knowledge of the use of smart devices to protect their children as much as possible, while using television wisely and not as an unwise means of entertainment all the time, and leisure time should not be filled only with smart devices, which helps addiction.

She said: “Parents must keep pace with their children in electronic knowledge, because children are currently aware of what adults do not know, so every father and mother must be familiar with all modern applications for children, games and social media;

Given the negative impact it may have on the child’s behavior, such as violence or an attempt to harm oneself.”

She added, “It is necessary to allocate technology-free places in the home;

One of the ideas currently prevalent in some homes is allocating a place without all electronic devices, which is a new idea of ​​its kind, and an example of these places is the dining room or the kitchen, because these places are for preparing food and then eating it together as a family.

And she continued, “Family times must be allocated without technology;

To allow family time to be spent without any preoccupation with electronic devices, with the importance of using parental control, as there have now emerged ways through which parents can monitor their children in a way that gives them the ability to control any unhealthy behavior of their children, and parents may also be able to block certain sites that may cause dangers to their children Hence, it becomes safer for children and parents.

She pointed out the importance of explaining the reason for restricting children's use of smart devices.

When parents explain the negative impact that smart devices may cause, children will become more aware of their fear, which prompts them to listen to their parents instead of believing that this matter represents a form of control only without explanation.

She emphasized the need to create an atmosphere of home activities to limit children's leisure time, so that the phone would not be their best choice.

The psychological and family counselor at the Hamsa Center for Social, Psychological and Family Counseling, Dr. Hiam Abu Mishaal, said that we are currently working on planning the vacation properly and avoiding the negative effects that children may face during it, especially after the “Corona” period that affected students, especially in the age group between 7 and 12. years.

She added, "We talk with parents about the mechanisms of investing leave in a positive way and not leaving children in front of the devices for long periods, because its negative effects extend to the son and his behavior. A complete daily system must be established that develops the children's thinking skills and cultivates their self-confidence."

And she continued: «Among the positive ideas to make optimal use of the vacation is to develop reading skills through a specific program, such as reading a number of books or visiting archaeological sites in Sharjah or Dubai and preparing a report on the visit, as well as enrolling children in school camps because of their useful sports activities». .

And she continued: «It is also necessary to organize a schedule for the son at home so that he does not stay in front of the devices all day, including enhancing the skill of drawing or reading or memorizing part of the Qur’an, or doing projects, whether historical or cultural, such as writing about historical figures that influence our lives or cultural topics about (Corona) or bullying, and arguing with the son, in addition to farming, exploring nature, and going to the sea.

Create a family atmosphere away from the use of electronic devices

Muhammad Jamal, the father of two students, said that he used to set a schedule for school holidays, so that his two sons would benefit as much as possible from them.

Pointing out that he prefers to create an appropriate family atmosphere away from the use of electronic devices for long periods, while allowing this for specific periods, and to involve his sons in sports activities to benefit from them physically and healthily.

A guardian, Abeer Mustafa, said that the winter vacation period represents an appropriate opportunity for family gathering, and therefore during that vacation it is possible to go out to spend some days away from home to reward children and allow them to enjoy the winter weather.

She stressed that she aims to organize the vacation period in some different activities, in order to avoid allowing children a long time to sit in front of phone screens and be exposed to the damage of various digital means.

A parent, Majed Hanna, said that he allows his children to benefit from the winter vacation in several ways: spending some days in a hotel to enjoy the winter weather, and he also bought a number of books suitable for his children's age stages from the Sharjah International Book Fair, such as novels and books in English. , to benefit from it during the vacation in developing their cognitive skills, while spending sports times in a club on a regular basis to maintain their physical fitness instead of sitting for a long time at home.

• The need to find an alternative for students to spend the winter vacation period in order to avoid exposing children to any harm.

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