Parental guidance is necessary

Sharjah

It was 4.30pm, a few days ago, when some children playing in a hazardous manner were spotted by me in the Al Barsha 1 area of Dubai. These children were playing on the pavement next to the street. Many a times, the ball rolled over to the street and a child was seen risking himself, running after the ball, amongst the traffic.

I believe that this poses a great threat, not only to the motorists, but also to the children who were playing. When asked, they stated that they come to play every day. They also said that they are confident that nothing will happen to them as they are careful.

I have seen instances near my house, too, in the Shuwaiheen area in Sharjah where children play on the streets or parking lots. Every evening, these children can be spotted, risking their lives, playing football. There is no park around, neither was there any in Al Barsha, which is why I think that the children have to resort to such spots. This can even prove to be fatal for them.

It is because of such scenes that child safety should be considered a nationwide concern.

I encourage all readers to alert these students, if they see them playing, of the dangers posed by such activities, especially in places such as parking lots and streets where one small mishap could not only lead to their loss, but also the unintended loss of other civilians, too.

— The reader is a student based in Sharjah.

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