In times of war Carnival too can send a message of peace. While the people of the ‘fat week’ are preparing to choose whether to play the role of a princess or a superhero, a knight or a pirate, the pediatrician Italo Farnetani addresses an appeal to the revelers and their parents: “Let’s avoid any reference war, we do not take up guns, we do not hold swords or sticks, we don’t wear symbols of violence“, says the doctor to time.news Salute.
Given that “it must be the child who chooses the type of mask to buy or to modify, giving free rein to his imagination and fantasy, and in general it is good that he can opt for the most fashionable disguises”, it is important that adults maintain their role as a guide to responsibility, healthy play and a sense of limitation, recommends the full professor of Pediatrics at the Ludes-United Campus of Malta University.
The advice to grown-ups is to “make the most of the opportunities that the Carnival offers as a moment of aggregation, of identification with the group, but also with positive heroes”, warns Farnetani. “Children and adolescents should never be left alone, even more so at Carnival – he underlines – Parents should accompany their children as much as possible to parties, to masked events, and organize parties with them at home or at school. It is also important that they take care of the disguise, that they understand the type of costume that their children prefer” as an affirmation of their personality “and that they support them, but always guiding them”.
The pediatrician says “yes to confetti and streamers”, while “let’s avoid spray cans, irritants, excess foam and above all no to firecrackers and fireworks: they must not be purchased or made available – exhorts Farnetani – because I remember that there are no safe firecrackers or fires, even if they are legally marketed”.
“Carnival yes, but at the right dose” – From home parties to floats, processions and street parades, the ‘fat week’ is enjoyed by children of all ages and also by those who take care of their health. “My research, begun in 2006 and subsequently continuously updated – explains Farnetani – shows that 87% of colleagues recognize the positivity of the Carnival as a moment of play and aggregation, of movement and freedom. These are days in which one can give vent to fantasy and imagination”, identify with the group, while at the same time affirming one’s personality through masks and make-up.
And a 9 out of 10 pediatricians promote the craziest party of the year, “there is 13% who also report the risks. Dangers associated with excesses” which must be avoided, warns the teacher. “Beware of the abuse of foams and sprays – he recommends – No to irritating substances and any type of firework or firecracker”.
“Carnival in the right dose is good, indeed very good – assures Farnetani – for both physical and psycho-emotional development of the child. But an excessive dose can do harm, even very bad. It is like for medicines. But in the In the case of the Carnival, the possible ‘adverse effects’ do not depend on the party itself, but on how one lives”, the doctor points out, launching a reminder of the “responsibility of the parents in the first place, and then of all the adults involved in the custody and education of children: grandparents, uncles, teachers, entertainers”. It is the grown-ups who have to “set limits” and ‘administer’ the festival with common sense, so that – just like a medicine – Carnival is beneficial and not ‘toxic’.
“Carnival is an occasion,” explains the pediatrician. “First of all, the children leave the house”, they leave behind the ‘closure’ often imposed by three years of Covid, “then they do physical activity, perhaps in the open air; they meet with peers, socialize and experience joyful moments. The Furthermore, Carnival is important because it favors identification in the group on the one hand and self-affirmation on the other. It allows children to wear different clothes”, those of the character of the heart, the hero or heroine. The dream that for a while seems like reality. “It is an important moment to stimulate the imagination, to help the development of mental reasoning which is typical of the growth path of children and adolescents”.
But it is precisely these premises, Farnetani insists, that “we understand the importance of the role of parents and adults in general”. Also at Carnival, it is the doctor’s message, their presence and their guidance can make a difference in the lives of young people.