Children need to learn swimming

A reader urges parents to encourage their children to go for swimming. Other topics: pedestrian-friendly cities, travel insurance, bullying, weather

A reader says parents should encourage their children to learn swimming. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

Teaching children to swim is a great thing and most children love the ocean and the fun of being in water (Embrace the water, December 10). One advantage of living in Dubai is the access to beaches and pools, private or community. Why not avail of this facility? It's always good for children to get an early start so that they are not scared of water.

Nevertheless, I encourage every parent to keep a close watch on their child whenever they are in or around water.

For beginners, especially those who can’t touch the bottom, I always favour using a progressive flotation device that clearly adds a safety component to the class. Different children have different motor skills, so it may be better to have an instructor to teach and monitor a child. Also, most children just want to have fun in the water. So to make a good swimmer out of them, you might need an instructor.

Swimming is a great activity that keeps a child healthy and active. It might become a stepping stone to other sporting activities as they grow older.

Siv Hartvigsen, Dubai

Cities need to be remodelled for pedestrians

Regarding your editorial Make cities more people-friendly (December 8), it would be great to have proper pavements (without car parks adjacent to them) and dedicated bicycle lanes in our cities. Furthermore, cars should really reduce speed in residential areas. All modern cities in the world have developed alternative ways to commute. We must do the same.

Nicolas Benoit, Dubai

One solution would be to build affordable housing near the workplace with all the support businesses such as supermarkets and banks. Then cars would be required only for weekend jaunts.

Jeffrey Martin, Dubai

For safe travel, have insurance

It's sad to hear the story of Mohammed Baloch (Medical bills leave family destitute after death of patriarch, December 6). This is why it's important that people buy travel insurance before any kind of travel especially to expensive places in Europe, the US or Middle East. It costs about Dh250 to get travel insurance and it covers you for any such unforeseen events. If you break your leg in the UAE, the cost to go to the hospital for minor fractures is around Dh2,500. Why take a risk?

Name withheld by request

There is something amiss about the story. How does a man walk in healthy and then all of a sudden go into a coma, even if he was feeling weak? Maybe it’s all true; still it seems the case is one-sided. This man needs a lawyer or some kind of legal representative. Facts need to be checked on both sides. Are the medical reports in line with the autopsy?

Yasser Alireza, Dubai

Maybe everyone entering the UAE should have mandatory travel insurance to prevent this type of case.

Carol Goodey, Dubai

We all must try to end bullying

Both the bully and bullied need help (We should work as a community to tackle the problem of bullying, December 1). Only education and increased awareness levels can tackle the issue of bullying.

The least we all can do is not be a bystander when we see bullying or think that it would go away on its own.

We need to remove the element of “shame” from bullying. If it’s happening, it needs to be reported.

Name withheld by request

Weather alert is unnecessary

Do the media need to tell people what to wear when the weather changes (Cool temperatures and strong winds across UAE prompt warning to parents, December 8)? I think it's better to allow people to decide for themselves.

Mathew Litty, Dubai

It’s extremely worrying that parents are even warned about this. Not to mention this temperature range is not considered as cold.

Fiona Van Buren, Abu Dhabi