The combination of long summer days and tightened budgets could be the best thing that ever happened to our children. The retro idea of "free time" is making a comeback in many households; laid-back pursuits such as finger painting and mud pies are replacing the stream of adult-supervised sporting and educational activities to which kids have become accustomed.
According to a new report, Kindergartens in Crisis, published by the Alliance for Childhood, an American organisation that promotes the healthy development of children, the disappearance of unstructured free play can be damaging to a child - far more so than missing out on those Suzuki violin lessons or not mastering basic French by age four.
The survey claims that a lack of substantial playtime is responsible for an array of issues including increased bad behaviour, anger and the erosion of social and creative skills. Vivian Gussin Paley, a noted preschool expert, says in the report: "Play contains the only set of circumstances children understand from beginning to end? Within this familiar process of inventing new characters and plots, of pretending to be someone else in another place, the children? develop the intuitive and universal language that binds us all together."
Professor Jay Belsky, the director of the Institute for the Study of Children, Families and Social Issues at Birbeck University in London, says: "I worry that some of the freedom of childhood is being constrained by an adult need to schedule kids and the belief that everything has to start earlier. But if you push children at ever younger ages, too often it gets in the way of their own capacity to develop."
Belsky believes one of the reasons for this phenomenon is that families in the "educated classes" are now smaller, with one or two children sharing parental attention that a few generations ago would have been divided between four or five infants.
"Parents are putting all their eggs in one basket. But does it follow that if a mother bird takes her nestling and drops it out of the nest earlier to teach it to fly, the baby bird will benefit? No. What mother birds do is let the baby stay in the nest until it's time to get out. We have this pernicious belief that getting started on everything earlier is better but, as not doing enough carries a cost, so does doing too much."
The clinical psychologist Sabine Skaf, a mother of two preschoolers, works with children at the Dubai-based Human Relations Institute. She agrees one of the main reasons parents are foisting extra activities on their offspring is because they are better educated themselves. "We as parents are more anxious because we have access to so much more information than our own parents did. We have the internet of course, and there are so many books on parenting and brain stimulation theories that parents begin to over-analyse. This is the managed child age. We're self-diagnosing our kids."
The Alliance for Childhood report notes that US policy changed in 2007 to include aptitude testing at the kindergarten level, but that this testing was meaningless because children of that age are subject to so much change. A poor reader at three may easily grow to be a gifted writer; a toddler who produces paintings worthy of any clucking parents' fridge door is as likely to become a talented artist as the child sitting next to him playing with bricks. What is most worrying, the report says, is that structured activity is eating away at the one thing that is truly important to a child's future success: play.
Skaf agrees. "Even if stimulated at a young age, the downfall is they may arrive at school knowing how to read but are socially inadequate. They haven't played with other kids and they don't have these boredom moments that are essential to healthy development."
She points out that children have a lifetime of testing ahead of them. "It's fine to monitor normal developmental milestones. But if a child is adequate socially and has no behavioural problems, then there is no need to do tests."
Belsky explains that children need time away from adult agendas and ambitions. While it may appear that they are doing "nothing", their brains may be hard at work in ways that are just as valid to development as structured play. "The mistake people make is they see children playing and think that's all it is. But that's like saying: 'Oh, he's only breathing.' There's actually so much going on under the surface that doesn't appear to be important. But what kids do as a speciality is play and when we are older we too often lose that capacity. It is not a worthless activity."
While children play, they develop a range of skills. "They learn to share and negotiate, to resolve conflict, to develop control and a capacity to regulate their own attention spans. They learn decision-making skills, they find out about creativity," Skaf says.
Mev Khan's eight-year-old daughter was educated in the UAE before the family moved back to the UK. Khan points out that while pressure on kids has increased universally, certain differences in educational theory may be down to culture.
"I found that the education system in the UAE is much more academically focused. Amara went to kindergarten at Mirdif Private School in Dubai and then on to Cambridge International School [in Dubai]. From her first year, there was a full timetable, and Amara would come home every day with homework assignments - learning about colours, numbers and exercises to teach her to write her name and the alphabet."
Khan says her daughter seems happier in her current school environment in the UK, where there is more focus on play.
It seems as if there is peer pressure to fill a child's schedule to the limit. "You fall into the trap," Skaf says. "The other parents say things like: 'Oh, you're not taking your child to baby massage, to sign language classes?' It's important to resist that and to keep a balance. I don't take my six-month-old baby to classes to learn music. The classes are for brain stimulation. But you have to keep these activities short."
Belsky says the future effects of regimenting children's time can be seen into adulthood; someone who may have been an entrepreneur might instead find themselves in a production or manufacturing role. "When we overload our children with extra lessons and activities at the expense of unstructured play, there's a risk of undermining the cultivation of the imagination."
At the other end of the scale, kids who are parked in front of televisions may also experience negative effects. A recent study by the American Institute of Paediatrics reported that children from families where a lot of television is watched were more likely to experience delays in normal language development.
"I ensure my daughter has time to play on her own," says Khan. "And I think that has helped her to be creative. I can leave her to make things out of paper, old cereal packets; she is happy to make things by herself. One of the important things a child has to learn is how to deal with boredom. You can't always expect to have something to do, and learning to gaze out of a window and relax your mind is important. There is a fine line between cramming and giving your children something constructive to do that isn't watching television all day."
So what's the most sensible approach? For Khan, the answer is found in her child, and not in studies or books. "You have to see what your child actually enjoys. If they aren't happy with extra activities, you shouldn't force them. When Amara started karate lessons in Dubai, she decided after three lessons that she didn't like it. Even though I'd paid for the classes, I didn't force her. I thought, well, you've tried it, you didn't like it, fair enough."
Belsky says moderation is the key. "As long as one can judge when the child doesn't want to do something, that is good. If you have Suzuki violin lessons, tutoring, and an arranged play date? it's the overkills that should be a source of concern, not the activities themselves."
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Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
The specs: 2019 GMC Yukon Denali
Price, base: Dh306,500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 621Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.9L / 100km
UAE FIXTURES
October 18 – 7.30pm, UAE v Oman, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 19 – 7.30pm, UAE v Ireland, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 21 – 2.10pm, UAE v Hong Kong, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 22 – 2.10pm, UAE v Jersey, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 24 – 10am, UAE v Nigeria, Abu Dhabi Cricket Oval 1
October 27 – 7.30pm, UAE v Canada, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 29 – 2.10pm, Playoff 1 – A2 v B3; 7.30pm, Playoff 2 – A3 v B2, at Dubai International Stadium.
October 30 – 2.10pm, Playoff 3 – A4 v Loser of Play-off 1; 7.30pm, Playoff 4 – B4 v Loser of Play-off 2 at Dubai International Stadium
November 1 – 2.10pm, Semifinal 1 – B1 v Winner of Play-off 1; 7.30pm, Semifinal 2 – A1 v Winner of Play-off 2 at Dubai International Stadium
November 2 – 2.10pm, Third place Playoff – B1 v Winner of Play-off 1; 7.30pm, Final, at Dubai International Stadium
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
SUNDAY'S ABU DHABI T10 MATCHES
Northern Warriors v Team Abu Dhabi, 3.30pm
Bangla Tigers v Karnataka Tuskers, 5.45pm
Qalandars v Maratha Arabians, 8pm
FIXTURES (all times UAE)
Sunday
Brescia v Lazio (3.30pm)
SPAL v Verona (6pm)
Genoa v Sassuolo (9pm)
AS Roma v Torino (11.45pm)
Monday
Bologna v Fiorentina (3.30pm)
AC Milan v Sampdoria (6pm)
Juventus v Cagliari (6pm)
Atalanta v Parma (6pm)
Lecce v Udinese (9pm)
Napoli v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
FIGHT INFO
Men’s 60kg Round 1:
Ahmad Shuja Jamal (AFG) beat Krisada Takhiankliang (THA) - points
Hyan Aljmyah (SYR) beat Akram Alyminee (YEM) - retired Round 1
Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) beat Bhanu Pratap Pandit (IND) - TKO Round 1
Men’s 71kg Round 1:
Seyed Kaveh Soleyman (IRI) beat Abedel Rahman (JOR) - RSC round 3.
Amine Al Moatassime (UAE) walk over Ritiz Puri (NEP)
More on Turkey's Syria offence
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: India, chose to bat
India (1st innings): 215-2 (89 ov)
Agarwal 76, Pujara 68 not out; Cummins 2-40
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others
Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.
As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.
Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.
“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”
Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.
“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”
Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.
MATCH INFO
Liverpool 0
Stoke City 0
Man of the Match: Erik Pieters (Stoke)
TOUCH RULES
Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.
A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Director: Ron Howard
2/5
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
OTHER IPL BOWLING RECORDS
Best bowling figures: 6-14 – Sohail Tanvir (for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings in 2008)
Best average: 16.36 – Andrew Tye
Best economy rate: 6.53 – Sunil Narine
Best strike-rate: 12.83 – Andrew Tye
Best strike-rate in an innings: 1.50 – Suresh Raina (for Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals in 2011)
Most runs conceded in an innings: 70 – Basil Thampi (for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018)
Most hat-tricks: 3 – Amit Mishra
Most dot-balls: 1,128 – Harbhajan Singh
Most maiden overs bowled: 14 – Praveen Kumar
Most four-wicket hauls: 6 – Sunil Narine
Brief scoreline:
Crystal Palace 2
Milivojevic 76' (pen), Van Aanholt 88'
Huddersfield Town 0
Tesalam Aleik
Abdullah Al Ruwaished
(Rotana)
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, six-cylinder
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 395bhp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: from Dh321,200
On sale: now
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
MATCH INFO
Group B
Bayern Munich v Tottenham, midnight (Thursday)
Motori Profile
Date started: March 2020
Co-founder/CEO: Ahmed Eissa
Based: UAE, Abu Dhabi
Sector: Insurance Sector
Size: 50 full-time employees (Inside and Outside UAE)
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Safe City Group
