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The
back-to-school routine is not easy, because during the summer holidays there is
laxity in the hours of eating and sleeping for kids. But with the return of
students to schools, things don't go back as they were right away. For many families,
the back-to-school period is approaching, and it is a good thing that children
will be back to a routine, having an early dinner and going to bed at a
reasonable time. For moms especially, back to school is stressful for a variety
of reasons. School fees in Kuwait's private schools are sky high and continue
to soar. Supplies and uniforms are also expensive and require repeated trips to
market and special budgeting.
Preparing for
school, whether by returning from travels or buying school supplies like
uniforms, bags, notebooks and other important needs are not the only concerns
for families, but how ready are the schools to receive students and the
readiness of classes too, especially with regards to air conditioning and water
coolers, as well as the necessary medical supervision to ensure the safety of
students from any diseases or infection. I think the back-to-school season has
become a burden, especially if the family has to pay for additional lessons
after school for the children to help them in their studies.
The
back-to-school season will begin in Kuwait and the rest of the Gulf very
shortly, so it is important to raise awareness of the health risks that can be
transmitted among students, especially in the kindergarten and primary levels.
School health specialists agree that the school is an environment that provides
an incubator for infectious diseases, and that illnesses can be easily
transmitted through the integration and accumulation of pupils in classrooms.
This is a natural result because of the presence of children in large groups,
who are exposed to pathogens including germs and other vectors of infection.
School infections, skin diseases and eye infections are transmitted by viral,
fungal and bacterial means.
In any case,
early diagnosis and continuous follow-up of the situation of the child, whether
by parents or school administrations, is required to avoid problems. I think
giving attention to the periodic examination of the skin of schoolchildren and
not allowing them to keep their hair and nails too long are effective and
vital.
For the
prevention of these diseases, several tips are provided by specialized doctors,
especially proper nutrition, as it stimulates the immune system and improves
the body's ability to fight diseases, including making sure there is no lack of
vitamins in the child's daily diet to ensure that the child gets enough of the
right foods and enough sleep at night.
I remember when I
was young, our parents were keen to make us to go to sleep early. We did not
have mobiles that we took to our beds that kept us awake for a long time. Delay
in sleeping at night leads to stress issues in the morning, which is a big
problem for families today.
Social media
occupies a lot of time in the lives of people, whether school kids or others,
so it is important for parents to set certain hours during the day to let
children use their mobile devices, and not allow these devices to go to bed
with them. I hope this year we will not witness any cases of disruption of air
conditioning in the light of the very hot weather. We need a good start.
Welcome back everyone, and wishing you all a great school year!
By Muna Al-Fuzai
