Positive Parenting

By Dickson Tumuramye The issue of drug and substance use is becoming increasingly prevalent in our society, especially in schools and universities. Many children are involved in drug use, yet parents often remain unaware of what is happening in their lives. A university student once confided in me that he was struggling with alcohol addiction and was working hard to overcome it. Despite numerous attempts, he failed time and again. What pained him the most was that his parents had no idea about his struggles. Whenever he returned home for holidays, he abstained from drinking entirely, and his parents knew him only as their well-behaved, responsible son. Don’t Give Up Some parents have recognized that their children are grappling with substance abuse and have taken various measures to support them. Some have experienced only marginal progress, while others have witnessed encouraging changes. Sadly, some have lost all hope and feel inclined to give up. Yet, I consistently urge paren...

By Dickson Tumuramye Success is often measured by what we achieve in life. A good job, a thriving business, a beautiful home, and the ability to provide for our families are all admirable accomplishments. In Uganda today, many parents work tirelessly to ensure their children enjoy opportunities they never had. Yet, despite these sacrifices, it is not uncommon to find some successful parents struggling with children who are undisciplined, irresponsible, entitled, or unable to navigate life's challenges effectively. This reality raises an important question: Why do some successful parents raise struggling children? Success here may be reflected in educational attainment, career advancement, financial stability, leadership positions, or entrepreneurial achievement, etc, where a family lives a moderate life and has what is adequate to meet more than the basic needs. Success Vs Effective Parenting Many parents assume that success in one area of life automatically leads to succes...

By Dickson Tumuramye Life is filled with both good things and challenges. It is never as straightforward or comfortable as we sometimes wish it to be. Some challenges are small and manageable, while others come with deep emotional pain, stress, disappointment, anxiety, or frustration. These situations affect not only our daily lives but also our mental well-being and the way we think, respond, and make decisions. At times, challenges cloud our thinking and weaken our ability to remain focused on the important issues. When pressure increases, many people stop thinking objectively and slowly surrender to negative thoughts. In such moments, hopelessness silently grows in the mind and heart. Whenever we allow difficult situations to control our emotions and thoughts, we create room for fear, discouragement, anger, and emotional exhaustion. Some people lose their peace, fail to sleep well, lose their appetite, or struggle to concentrate even on simple tasks. Others begin to doubt them...

  By Dickson Tumuramye    Every year, when schools close for the holidays, a familiar scene plays out across Uganda. Our children sleep in late, spend hours on their phones, and drift through the weeks with little to show for it by the time school resumes. But what if this holiday season were different? What if, instead of idling away precious time, our young people used these weeks to build something, a skill, a habit, or even a small business? This is what even the new curriculum is all about. Children should be great thinkers and innovators, and school holidays can be an avenue to practice what they learn from school.   The school holiday is not a gap in a teenager's life. It is an opportunity, arguably one of the greatest they will have before adult responsibilities close in. With no classes, no exams, and flexible time, a determined young person can accomplish more in six weeks than they realise. The question is not whether there is time. There is. The quest...

Dickson Tumuramye Walk into most schools in the country during visiting day, and you will hear the same conversations repeated with quiet pride. “My son is always number one.” “My daughter wants to be a doctor.” “He got all A’s.” These are the metrics by which we reassure ourselves that we are raising successful children. And on paper, it looks convincing. Our homes are producing some of the most academically accomplished young people this country has ever seen. But step outside the classroom, and a different story unfolds. The same “smart” children struggle to make decisions without guidance. They panic at failure. They avoid responsibility. Some graduate with impressive transcripts but remain dependent, directionless, or quietly overwhelmed by the demands of real life. This is the uncomfortable question we must confront: how did we become so good at raising smart children who are unprepared for life? The Narrow Definition of Intelligence Part of the problem lies in how we d...

By Dickson Tumuramye When children return to school at the beginning of a new term, much of the focus is usually on academics. Parents think about books, teachers, and performance. Schools emphasize curriculum coverage and results. On the surface, school is presented as a place of learning. But for many children, especially adolescents, school is far more than that. It is a complex social environment, a battlefield of relationships, identity, acceptance, and belonging. Every day, children are not only navigating lessons, but also people. The Unspoken Struggle for Belonging At the heart of every child’s school experience is a deep desire to belong. Children want to be seen, accepted, and included. They want to feel that they matter within their peer groups. Yet, this sense of belonging is not always guaranteed. The beginning of a new term often brings subtle but significant shifts. Friendships that once felt secure may change. New alliances are formed, while others quietly fade. For som...