Positive Parenting

  By Dickson Tumuramye The two years of staying with children at home were not so easy due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many children had literally dropped out of school, they had forgotten about studies and had now adapted to home life. It was not until the beginning of this year that the government officially opened the economy and all schools were fully opened, and children reported back to school. I remember when we were taking our children back to school, there was a lot of excitement because they were looking forward to that opportunity. But after a few weeks, the moods were different, some started complaining about how teachers are rude to them, they were not caring, the meals were not delicious, not enough, and they were being bullied by other pupils. Along the way, flu and cough became other challenges and we were in and out of hospitals. Therefore, some missed going to school for some days. It has not been an easy term for children to cope with the post-COVID-19 pand...

By Dickson Tumuramye Some Christians have been in lent season, a time of reflection and preparation before the celebrations of Easter Sunday. Easter is a festival in which Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the promise of eternal life. It is such a short break that Christians utilize to celebrate such great commemoration. Unlike Christmas break which lasts for more days with a lot of merry-making and family engagements, Easter break lasts for only 3 days and it may end without your notice. However, Easter should be the most celebrated day more than Christmas because it marks the beginning of Christianity, especially after the resurrection of Jesus Christ and it gives a strong foundation for our faith. The bible says that Änd if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless (1Corinthians 15:14). Therefore, we need to help our children understand what Easter is, why we celebrate it and they should not be left hom...

By Dickson Tumuramye Until the recent past, parenting was not as complicated as it is now in the 21 st  century. Before all children were looked at as community children and there was collective responsibility in raising children. Families used to live in extended settings compared to today’s unitary/individualized settings. In some families, parents had time to sit with their children around a table or fire and they would share stories, riddles, songs, etc. This did not only help children to learn how to express themselves but also families would have enough time to be together, discuss family issues and parents would pass on any information that seemed crucial to their children. Where I grew up, we used to share a meal on the same tray or from the same basket (for karo). In so doing, parents were able to identify with their children and establish a relationship together. This is no longer the case today. Nowadays, there is no longer collective responsibility in child upbringing...