Latest news with #NewAfrica
New York Post
3 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
Concerned mom is ruffling feathers by urging parents to stop overscheduling kids: ‘This is crucial'
Parents, it's time to chill. A pediatric nurse practitioner is going viral for telling moms and dads to pump the brakes on ballet, soccer, piano and Kumon — because their kids are heading toward total burnout before they even hit first grade. Mary Catherine, aka @ on Instagram, is fed up with families turning into full-time Uber services, shuttling little ones from one extracurricular to the next with zero downtime in between. 'This might ruffle some feathers, but it's a hill I will die on as a pediatric nurse and mom to young kids… I firmly believe we are starting our kids in organized sports/ activities WAY TOO EARLY,' she wrote in a recent post. 'My daughter is in kindergarten and most of her classmates are involved in 2-3 after-school activities/ sports. That's A LOT.' Her prescription? Ditch the jam-packed schedules and give kids more time to just be kids. 3 One mom is slamming parents for acting like Uber drivers, hauling kids from one activity to the next with no breather in sight. liderina – 'Free play still needs to be prioritized in elementary age and younger kids. This is CRUCIAL,' she continued. Catherine swears by the 'one activity at a time' rule in her house for her two young kids — and experts say she's onto something. 'In my clinical experience, I've seen that children—especially those in early elementary years—who are consistently over-scheduled often present with signs of chronic distress,' Zishan Khan, MD, a psychiatric clinician, backed her up, telling Parents in a recent interview. Think: anxiety, trouble sleeping, mysterious stomachaches and enough sick days to rival flu season. 'The developing brain and body need downtime to process, grow and recover,' Khan added. 3 Catherine sticks to a strict 'one activity at a time' rule for her two tots — and the pros say she's not just winging it, she's right on the money. New Africa – Catherine emphasized the importance of letting kids engage in free play — the unfiltered, imaginative kind that doesn't require uniforms, scoreboards or permission slips. Khan agreed, calling free play 'critical' to childhood development. 'Through play, children learn to regulate their emotions, collaborate with others and develop a healthy sense of self,' he said. And while many parents might already be trying to squeeze in more free time for their kids, they still feel like it's not enough. As The Post previously reported, the average child already racks up 10 hours of play daily — split between parents, solo time and playing with friends or siblings — but three-quarters of parents say they still wish their child had more time for creative, unstructured play. 3 And while plenty of parents are trying to carve out more playtime, most still feel like it's a losing battle against the overbooked kid calendar. LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS – An overwhelming 92% of parents believe that kind of play is key to their child's growth and development — and they're not wrong. The top play activities? Physical games like dancing and ball tossing won out, followed by social play that involves sharing and teamwork. And while screen time is still part of the equation — kids clock about two hours a day on devices — most parents agree: off-screen play is crucial. Parents are also doing their part to keep curiosity alive. The same survey found they answer an average of 14 questions a day from their pint-sized philosophers — and many even study up to keep up. In the end, the experts and the data agree: When it comes to childhood, play isn't a luxury — it's essential.
Zawya
22-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
At GITEX Africa 2025, Huawei reinforces strategic commitment to the development of Africa's digital and intelligent future
Cairo, Egypt – Huawei Intelligent Africa Summit 2025 was held in Marrakech alongside GITEX Africa under the theme 'Amplify Intelligence for New Africa.' For its 3rd edition, GITEX put a strong spotlight on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital innovation, highlighting a turning point in Africa's technological transformation. In this dynamic, Huawei's Summit aimed at exploring how AI can foster inclusive, sustainable development and help shape the continent's future. In his opening speech, Shen Li, President of Huawei Northern Africa (North, West & Central Africa), emphasized the necessity of an integrated and collaborative approach: 'Moving forward, we will continue to collaborate with all parties across key pillars of AI development in policy, technology, ecosystem, and talent to accelerate intelligence and co-build a new Africa.' This call to action resonated strongly with Lacina Koné, Director General & CEO of Smart Africa, who underlined the importance of tailoring digital transformation to the continent's unique context. He stated, 'Let us deepen our roots —in policy, in people, in partnerships— so Africa may rise strong in the AI winds of change.' His remarks highlighted Africa's demographic advantage, noting that over 70% of its population is under 30, which brings creativity, adaptability, and resilience essential to steering the AI revolution. Further reinforcing this strategic vision, Mounir Soussi, Vice President of Huawei Northern Africa, stressed the market opportunities afforded by a customer-centric approach in a rapidly evolving digital era. He remarked, 'In this changing era, Inclusive AI develops new opportunities in Africa and Huawei will insist on being customer-centric, promoting intelligence across the continent.' His perspective underlined that at the heart of these transformative initiatives lies a commitment to delivering tangible benefits to communities and businesses alike. The Huawei Intelligent Africa Summit cast a spotlight on the role of robust New Infrastructure as the backbone of Africa's AI journey. During a dedicated session, Ahmed Talaat, CTO of Huawei Cloud Northern Africa, explained: 'In Africa, Huawei Cloud is committed to building an intelligent cloud foundation for the telecom industry and accelerating intelligence across industries with systematic innovation that encompasses AI for Cloud and Cloud for AI.' This strategic emphasis on integrated cloud solutions is designed to bridge digital divides and provide the secure, scalable infrastructure needed to support emerging AI applications. One of the key pillars of the Summit's theme, New Value, was brought to life through a powerful testimonial by Marouane Akrab, Head of Digital Center at Attijariwafa Bank. He noted, 'After laying the foundations for an effective governance and centralised data, Attijariwafa Bank has launched a strategic shift to turn data into a real performance lever. This second phase was marked by a rise in power of analytical tools, a better use of data, and acculturation of teams to use Data & AI.' His remarks clearly demonstrate how the strategic use of data and AI is creating measurable impact and unlocking performance gains, especially in the financial sector. Another key pillar of the Summit, New Ecosystem, was highlighted during a high-level panel that brought together a diverse group of stakeholders. The session underscored the vital importance of collaboration in the AI era, focusing on the urgent need to design inclusive, agile, and resilient frameworks. These are essential to support sustainable digital transformation across Africa and to fully harness AI's potential for long-term economic and social impact. By weaving together actionable insights and success stories with visionary leadership, the Huawei Intelligent Africa Summit 2025 has set a strong strategic agenda for the continent's digital future. Huawei reaffirms its commitment to partnering with stakeholders across Africa to build a smarter, more connected future where innovation is both advanced and inclusive.
