INTRO: On our Facebook page Gulf News asked readers, ‘why do you think children are not getting enough exercise? How could teachers and parents help improve their activity levels?’ We present a selection of views.
The easier option
When I was a child, I used to visit a neighbourhood park with my brothers and play cricket. Other children in our vicinity used to meet us there and it became a group activity. So, it was something we all looked forward to. Are you telling me that children these days cannot do the same? I have heard parents saying that there aren’t enough parks, but I managed to find one 20 years ago! Since then, the authorities have worked hard to come up with many more parks in various neighbourhoods around the country. Some others say that there is a lot of burden on children when it comes to schooling. Well, we’ve all grown up, attended school and universities and made time for extra-curricular activities - and we didn’t even have computers to help us with our homework. We need to stop playing the blame game and focus on the fact that our children are lazy. The advancement of technology has a lot to do with this, too. Playing video games in one’s room is obviously easier than walking to the nearest park and participating in a physical activity and so they opt for that. Don’t just sit there and watch them ruin their eyesight. Let them go out and experience the joy of defeating their opponents in a game of football.
From Ms Rabia T.
Sharjah
Too much of a good thing
Children are facing this reality because of a culture of excessive food, which can be seen in various countries in the Middle East. Meals are bigger than anywhere else in the world because of the demand for it, and so the supply becomes available. Parents stuff their children with food to the point where they can no longer move, and that is where lack of exercise becomes an issue. Parents force their children to eat and eat but they do not think about the effects and what it may do to their children. Every other child is overweight and on top of that, they ask you if you want to get a meal ‘upsized’ when you order at a fast-food restaurant - as if the meal wasn’t big enough. It is important that parents understand the consequences of their actions and start educating their children. It is not about depriving your children of food, rather have them eat what they want, as long as they exercise, because then they’ll lead a healthier lifestyle.
From Ms Laura Montgomery
Abu Dhabi
Encourage your children
Children are always busy with some or the other gadget. Limit the time your children can be on their gadgets and equally balance it out with outdoor activity or exercise. Parents have to do this in for a healthy life for their children. Parents must encourage children.
From Mr Pablo Es Vuitton
Abu Dhabi
Dangerous outdoor activities
Where is the place? Where is the time? If children want to play outdoor in my area, they either have play on the road or in parking areas. to play they should play in roads or parking areas. Hoe can parents send them out to play in this situation? Of course their safety is more important than their play. Playing outdoors is the best form of exercise for children and they don’t have the space to do so.
From Ms Sini Jacobs
Sharjah
Give time to children
I think if the parents are honest and pay full attention to their children, they can make sure that their child has a healthy lifestyle. However, nowadays parents are busy enjoying their lives and do not give enough time to their family. This is what makes the kids lazy and they become careless.
From Ms Shamsi Khan
Dubai
It’s not teachers responsibility
I am a teacher and I wonder why are we often held responsible for lack of exercise in students lifestyle. We already have physical education training and after school activities for children. I often take my students to ski Dubai. This issue should be parents responsibility. Parents must take their children out for activities and give them time.
From Mr James Baird
Dubai
Virtual games
Children these days are only fond of virtual games, they do not want to step outdoors for anything. I think parents should impose strict limit on the time their children spend on virtual games, computers and phones.
From Mr Leo Arriesgado
Dubai
No time for play
I have been reading what readers have to say, but does no one feel that children actually do not have time for activities after their daily studies.
From Ms Arsheeda Aachi
Sharjah
Dancing is great!
Just put on some music and dance. Children or even adults do not have to be good dancers to dance, they can dance in their room just for the sake of some physical activity. Dance is one of the best physical activities and most children love to dance.
From Ms Ani Rag
UAE
Set the right example
What children see and hear is what they will end up doing. One of my colleagues once walked up to me and told me told me that his son’s teacher was complaining that his son doesn’t participate in singing lessons. I asked my colleague whether he or his wife were fond of singing. He said no. I told him that maybe he and his wife should casually sing while their son is around and slowly his son will pick up. One day I went to work and I heard my colleague singing out my name. When I asked him why was he doing so, he said he didn’t know any song. Apparently he was humming my name at home as well. A few days later he told me that his son was humming my name too. This was funny. But what I am trying to say is, as parents it is our responsibility to encourage our children and support them. If we live a healthy life and exercise every now and then, only then will our children follow the same path. Parents can’t be comfortably sitting on a couch and asking their children to go out to play.
From Ms Cora Virola Tarcena
Dubai
Burdened with studies
Nowadays children are very busy with their studies. They practically have no time to exercise on daily basis. Long school hours, homework, project work, weekly test, monthly test and then yearly exams take up most of the time of students. Hence, I don’t want to blame the children. Beyond this whatever time children het they prefer visiting social networking sites, surfing the internet or playing with some gadgets. I think in general life has become busy for both parents and children. However, parents being older must make sure that their children get the attention they need and that they guide their children in the right way as children are unaware of the importance of fitness. I suggest that the best way to counter this problem in todays world is my introducing more compulsory physical activities sessions in school, indoor and outdoor.
From Ms Archana Sen
Dubai
Scared to send them to play
I want to go off topic and request people to drive safely. When children go down their buildings to play, it is either on the pavements or parking lots, as there is not enough play area for them. Parents feel scared in sending their children down, because of the way people drive in the UAE.
From Ms Matt Farr
Sharjah
Too expensive
Schooling in the UAE is anyway very expensive. I think schools can easily afford to organise more physical activities for children. If parents want their children to joing any physical activity outside school, it is too expensive for them to do so. Hence, schools must take the healthy lifestyle of their children as their own responsibility.
Children these days are becoming lazy and inactive thanks to the shortage of public parks, sports facilities and gyms in residential areas. To make it worse, latest gadgets, phones and video games are at their disposal. The situation is so bad that most children are deprived of sunlight since they spent several hours indoors that leads to various kinds of deficiencies and illnesses in the long-run. To tackle this alarming situation, parents and teachers should encourage children to play sports, outdoor games, do exercise at gym or take them for a jog whenever time allows. Also, children should be discouraged from staying hooked to their mobile phones, gaming consoles and other gadgets that are partly to be blamed for all the damage caused. Childen who work-out and eat right should be given incentives at school, as well as, at home. This approach will deter them from consuming junk and becoming obese.
From Ms Fatima Suhail
Sharjah
From Ms Fatima Suhail
Dubai
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