Doha Ghouth Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Sleeping all day and staying up all night is a normal day in the life of an average child in the Kingdom but parents worried about the detrimental effects of such a lifestyle are increasingly turning to summer schools as a means to keeping their children's minds occupied. Despite experts warning that excessive amounts of television is unhealthy, many parents still opt to let their children spend the summer doing as they please; fearing that sending them to summer school will place an unnecessary burden on them. “When children watch too much TV, their brains switch into hibernating mode and their energy levels decrease. They end up sleeping a lot and become very lazy," said family counselor Elham Ezzy. According to Salman Al Ali, manager of development and extracurricular activities at the Ministry of Education in Jeddah, over 400 public schools across the country are holding summer programs this year. This is not counting the hundreds of private schools that are holding their own courses. Most summer programs concentrate on mental development and the majority of their courses center around arts and crafts. There is not a great emphasis on physical activity due to the hot summer weather. Particularly popular this summer are leadership courses that instill a sense of independence in children through various activities. Ayla Samargandi runs the Bidaya program that teaches children how to swim and confront their fears. Samargandi started the program after her son drowned in 2009. “I always avoided teaching him how to swim because I was scared for his life but not teaching your children how to swim is truly the worst thing a parent can do. Bidaya means ‘beginning' because we want children to feel that they are beginning a new life when they leave for home," said Samargandi whose leadership program teaches boys and girls leadership and conflict resolution skills. Bidaya was designed by a group of American child development specialists who design leadership programs that help children overcome their fears and give them the courage to move out from under the protective shield of their parents. “It's not a boot camp like many families think it is. It is rather the place that sculpts a child's personality to the best example he should be," said Bidaya Managing Director, Walter Rogers. Sarah Tashkandi's love for reading prompted her to create a miniature library full of children's books and for as little as SR200 a month, Tashkandi holds story telling circles and educational games to promote reading. “My goal is to interest everyone — children simply need a push and some motivation to make something difficult as learning how to read a walk in the park." Family counselor Elham Ezzy said educational programs such as the ones run by Tashkandi and Samargandi, enhance a child's intellect and development. “The skills you give an individual will always find their way into their daily lives and it is even more prominent in children because of their sponge-like nature in soaking up knowledge. There is no better time to help them stock up knowledge than the summer," said Ezzy.
