Once the long holidays are over, “the period of most intense scholastic commitment” awaits Italian students. A sprint of three months, just under, ranging from the return to school just after the Easter holidays at the end of March. We are entering the heart of the school year and “this intense commitment will be the characterizing aspect of the upcoming phase”, “even more than the inevitable and predictable winter illnesses”. Word of the pediatrician Italo Farnetani, which precisely in view of the small ‘school marathon’ that awaits children and young people, offers ten useful tips to parents to help their children’s school activities in the best possible way. “Advice for restarting and scholastic resilience”, defines them as the full professor of pediatrics at the Ludes University-United Campus of Malta.
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From breakfast to golden hours for studying, here is what to do (and not do) to best face the challenges of these days.
1) ‘SMART’ BREAKFAST
“It is a very neglected moment and instead it is important because it must provide the energy for the mental activity required during school hours – warns Farnetani – At breakfast it is important how much you eat and the suggestion is to accommodate the preferences of children and teenagers. The top The most popular thing is usually spreadable chocolate, useful because it provides energy quickly. How to accompany it? In general I recommend biscuits, the ideal would be chocolate tart, but you can also spread it in a croissant. At this stage of the day it is important than taking nutrients for energy intake. And to make the brain work it is also worth allowing a small transgression.”
2) THE MID-MORNING SNACK
“Another highlight – points out the pediatrician – because between breakfast and snack 25% of the daily calories must be introduced, providing ‘energy support’ for school learning. So the same line: in this case too let us be guided by the child’s tastes Some prefer sweet snacks (like the classic croissant) and others focus more on pizzas or flatbreads. The prevention of overweight and obesity is very right, but we try to get children to eat at these two times of the morning precisely to be able to put them in the best conditions to learn and maximize the activity between the desks. Whether prepared at home or purchased while accompanying the children to school, I recommend a ‘personalized’ snack, a reminder of family affection, a ‘little piece of home in your pocket’. And so no to the ‘state’ snack, i.e. the snack provided by the school which is the same for everyone”.
3) THE GOLDEN HOURS
When to do homework? “The best hours – suggests Farnetani – are from 3pm to 6pm”, therefore the middle of the afternoon. “Then the ability to learn and memorize progressively decreases.”
4) THE BACKPACK
Once the homework is finished, one last one is needed, urges the pediatrician. Mission: “Prepare your backpack for the next day and put it aside. So you don’t have to think about school again until the next morning.”
5) NEVER ON BOOKS LATE IN THE EVENING
“Never study at night.” Late in the evening “is a time when the body is preparing for the sleep period and therefore it is the time of lowest learning. Sticking to books is a useless and harmful effort”, warns Farnetani.
6) THE RIGHT DOSE OF MOVEMENT
“It is important that children and adolescents practice an hour of sport a day at least 5 days a week”, highlights the expert.
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7) SWIMMING IN WINTER?
“Contrary to what some believe, swimming can also be practiced in winter, and even in the coldest periods. Among other things, it is a sport enjoyed by both males and females. It is a fun discipline because it recalls seaside holidays , but also important because it is a form of prevention of accidents at the seaside, especially considering that a third of children and adolescents do not know how to swim”, observes Farnetani.
8) OPEN AIR
“Even in the coldest periods it is important to be outdoors. Therefore, once you have finished your homework – urges the pediatrician – it is good to leave the house both to combat sedentary lifestyle and to combat isolation”.
9) ANTI-contagion cornerstone
It is useful to “recommend hand hygiene to students. After the air we breathe, it is the main vehicle of infections. Therefore wash your hands at school – suggests the white coat – before and after meals. And for those who have lunch at school – he adds – it would be important to be able to brush your teeth after a meal.”
10) VENTILATION AND NOISES
“Two things that concern classrooms: ventilation and noise. It is important to open the windows to ensure air exchange and check that the classroom is not too noisy, because the students have difficulty listening to the teacher with the risk of decreasing the ‘learning”.
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