In the new academic year, students will mainly attend one or more clubs, trainings outside of school, and some will also have to help with household and household chores, concluded the survey conducted by “Mēnes aptiekas” and the research agency “Norstat”. 4% of respondents admitted that students only attend school.
12% of the adults who have school-age children answered that their students will attend at least one group, training outside of school. Most such respondents are in the age group of 40-49.
7% in the survey revealed that students will attend two or more clubs, trainings and most of them live in Pieriga and Vidzeme. 3% indicated that students will also participate in concerts, competitions, etc. on weekends, in addition to studying at school and various lessons. On the other hand, 7% mentioned that the students will help with household and household chores – among those giving this answer, the majority live in Pieriga.
Polina Popeiko of the Pediatre Health Center Association (VCA) reminds that it would be desirable to restore the daily rhythm while preparing for school already at the end of August: “It is desirable that the child goes to sleep between 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., but wakes up in the morning around seven or eight. You should definitely not exaggerate with clubs and extra classes. Students often suffer from neuroses of varying degrees of severity, and these are often the result of chronic overwork. They are at school for eight or more hours, it is a heavy load, but after school they still have to do their homework, so the number of clubs and sports classes that the child attends should be without exaggeration. The cause of neurosis can also be hidden in the child’s psychological state – not every little person can overcome timidity, insecurity, anxiety. Children tend to relive and hypertrophy their failures. Therefore, parents should be vigilant. For example, if a child cannot fall asleep in the evening, starts biting his nails or pencils, you should talk calmly and find the reason for this. A calm home environment, a thoughtful daily routine, a healthy diet will help you deal with various problems. If the child will go to school or clubs alone, it is worth going through this route together in advance, making sure that you remember the way. It is also important to agree on how often the child will inform the parents about his location. If you can’t handle it yourself, definitely contact a specialist.”
“Nowadays, a large number of parents actively take care that their children develop comprehensively, perhaps already during school they get the foundations for their further professional career, which could be related, for example, to music or sports. However, at the same time, care must be taken to ensure that children, teenagers and young people are not overworked, so that they rest regularly and sleep well. A nutritious diet is important, especially if additional activities are associated with significant mental and physical exertion. If necessary, it is recommended to use vitamin D. If there is physical or mental overexertion, a medicine or supplement containing magnesium is helpful. To ensure cognitive functions – omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. It is also important to pay attention to the quality of sleep. It is important to observe sleep hygiene – always go to bed at the same time, do not use smart devices at least an hour before sleep, organize the sleeping environment so that it is sleep-promoting, comfortable, dark, and the rooms are ventilated,” advises Ieva Virza, pharmacist of “Mēnes Aptiekas”.
A survey of representative residents “Mēness aptieka” in cooperation with the research agency “Norstat” was conducted in July 2023 throughout Latvia, surveying 1001 residents aged 18 to 74. Respondents in the survey gave answers to eight questions, choosing several options.
