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🇬🇷 Greece /Culture & Society

Back to school: Pediatricians' advice for parents

From Kathimerini · () Greek

Translated from Greek and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Greek pediatricians are urging parents to arrange preventive checks, especially for children's vision, hearing and dental health, before school resumes.
  • Their guidance also covers restoring sleep schedules, setting limits on screens, maintaining physical activity and serving regular meals.
  • The federation warns that undetected vision or hearing problems can affect school performance and says school bags should not burden children.

A good school year does not begin when the bell rings, Greek pediatricians say. It begins at home, and especially with a child's health.

We are gradually setting limits on screens. Difficult, yes, but not impossible.

· Panhellenic Federation of Freelance PediatriciansThe federation's guidance on reducing children's screen use before the school year.

The Panhellenic Federation of Freelance Pediatricians is asking parents to schedule preventive pediatric checks, with particular attention to vision, hearing and oral health. It also advises families to restore bedtime and morning routines gradually, using small daily changes rather than making a sudden adjustment on the night before school starts.

The pediatrician is the parent's ally.

· Panhellenic Federation of Freelance PediatriciansThe federation emphasized regular pediatric monitoring and early identification of health concerns.

The pediatricians recommend setting limits on tablets and mobile phones, while making room for free play, exercise, time with friends and family, and organized activities. Physical activity, they say, should remain part of children's daily lives, particularly as childhood obesity poses a significant public-health threat. They also call for regular meal schedules and a nutritious breakfast to provide energy during the school day.

One in five school-age children may have vision problems that have not yet been detected.

· Panhellenic Federation of Freelance PediatriciansThe federation highlighted the importance of vision screening.

The start of the school year offers an opportunity to identify physical, developmental or emotional issues early. The federation says persistent fatigue, sleep problems and changes in behavior deserve attention. It says one in five school-age children may have undetected vision problems, while even mild hearing difficulties can affect school performance. Pediatricians also highlight preventive dental checks and caution that school bags should not place excessive strain on children, noting that 37% of school-age children report pain in the unfinished portion of the article.

The school bag should not burden the child.

· Panhellenic Federation of Freelance PediatriciansThe federation's advice on preventing strain associated with school bags.
About this summary

Originally published by Kathimerini in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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