Ensure your child’s safety this Diwali

The vibrant fireworks during Diwali not just excites young ones but it overly-thrills them. So much so that, they easily get caught in the frenzy of lightning colourful sparkles; forgetting about their personal safety. We all often realize the potential dangers associated with lightning firecrackers but we tend to ignore even the most rudimentary precautions.

        Children particularly are most vulnerable during Diwali since they are the ones who are the most enthusiastic about lightning fireworks. It becomes highly essential for parents to educate their children about firework safety. They should teach them – how to avoid getting hurt while lightning sparklers and crackers. If safety measures are not adopted properly then one may end up sustaining burns and injuries in the midst celebration moods. Therefore, children must be taught to follow the warnings written on the cracker packets and to abide by the methods of lightning crackers mentioned there.Fireworks can cause havoc if they are lighted in busy areas. Rockets are most dangerous as they are shot off in random directions causing injury to people, also entering homes and setting things on fire. Caution and proper care can ensure a safe and fulfilled Diwali  and it all boils down to a few simple dos and don’ts, that one must follow to be safe.

Dos - 

• Parents must supervise their children while lightning fireworks.
• Keep a fire extinguisher or bucket of water ready as you may require.
• Make children light crackers and especially rockets in the open ground.
• Keep first -aid box ready. Ensure that you include burn ointment in the first-aid.
• Teach children to hold sparklers and other crackers away from the body.
• Check if there are no inflammable materials near.
• Discard used fireworks in a bucket of water.

 Don’ts

•  Tell your children not to throw or point fireworks at other people.  
• Don’t let your child wear Nylon clothes while lighting crackers; cotton is safest. 
• Never ignite aerial fireworks where overhead obstruction trees wires etc. or even heavy wind exists
• Don’t let children bend over to light firework.    
• Never leave young toddlers unattended 
•  Don’t let children hold fireworks in the hand and lighten them up. 
• Don’t let them light firecrackers with a matchstick but rather with a candle - this ensures sufficient distance between their hands and the cracker

Importance of extra-curricular activities in school

 It is imperative for students to participate in the school’s extra –curricular activities. Indulgence in these activities not only surfaces child’s interest but also helps him to sort out his future goals. Also, students can have their interests expanded by showing their inclination towards these events. It is must for all schools to have wide range of activities so as to encourage involvement of students in at least one activity. Besides focusing on academics, schools must facilitate these activities to every student. These activities could consist of anything such as joining school’s debate team, sports, and dance or music guilds. 

One such school which truly believes in student participation in the extra-curricular activities is “Presidium Senior Secondary School”. It lays lot of emphasis on all-round development of a child's personality. Presidium is a school where teaching is not about knowledge downloads, but fostering excellence. Presidium has groups such as adventure sports, taekwondo, yoga, aerobics, dance etc.

Adventure sports

 Children are exposed to activities in an in-house 'Adventure Zone' like fox flying, artificial river crossing, wall climbing, commando crawl, tunnel crossing, height jump, Tarzan jump, balancing beam, Burma bridge, commando net, ring track, sit-up bench, parallel bar dips, parallel rope walking (obstacle sports) and many more. These are best confidence building techniques where the child is able to shed his/her fear of darkness, height, being alone, and most importantly the fear of failure.

Taekwondo, Yoga and Aerobics

Experts are helping Presidians develop a balanced and healthy mind by beginning each morning with meditation and yoga. Children are also learning to flex and align their bodies through aerobics. Taek-won-do apparently may look like a physical exercise, but is a means to attain both physical and mental health.

 DANCE
Children get exposure to contemporary dance and various other dance forms like folk dances. The children are prepared for various inter school competitions and performances as well as celebrations within the school.

Music

Children are given the opportunity to learn light as well as Indian classical music. Also children are made to learn various instruments of their choice like casio, drums, guitar etc.

Art and Craft 
 An exposure to creative skills is provided through regular classes of art and craft. Children learn to create the best out of waste material and create things out of their imagination..