Make use of the school holidays well

By Dickson Tumuramye

Holidays are here and we thank God that our children are back from school. Congratulations to the candidates who sat their mocks.

This is a short holiday almost three weeks but there are some children like candidates who may not even have this holiday because schools want to continue teaching. Due to competition in schools, children study throughout and they are pumped with a lot of reading to ensure they all pass well. Sometimes there is too much pressure some children are undergoing.

Make sure to prioritize spending time with your children at home. Consider taking some time off work to ensure you have quality and sufficient time with them. It's important to note that some parents who work full-time may struggle to find time for their children. Remember, the time you fail to create now may result in you having to spend time at a rehabilitation center in the future. Additionally, you may end up spending more money than necessary if you neglect to invest in your children's well-being.

Some parents toil a lot to ensure their children enjoy an adequate life. Unfortunately, whatever money they give to children as pocket money goes into drinking, drugs, and having fun in clubs or places where even parents feel they are expensive for them. Your children you are sacrificing for do not look at it from that angle. What they know is that their parents have enough money which they can spend as and when they need it.

If you have children in this category, involve them in work to teach them the value of earning money. Unfortunately, parents often view work as a punishment for their children, preferring that they work hard for them. They wake up early, go to work, and leave their children asleep. The children spend their time at home watching television, being on social media, and hanging out with friends. Meanwhile, parents work tirelessly to make ends meet. This holiday, it is important to limit their media time, manage online addictions, and create alternative activities to keep them occupied.

In some ways it is us creating laziness in our children. If you wake up early to go to work and return late, why can’t you leave work assignments with your children? Why would you give too much allegiance to your boss at work that your children can’t give you back home?

Engage them in talks every time and discuss certain issues. These could range from home management, life choices, careers, relationships and marriage, sexuality, LGBTQ, employment, and many more. The world is full of issues that you can plan to handle every holiday. Even a mere sitting together to evaluate the term as they plan for the third term in advance or talk about anything is a great deal.

Please ensure that those assigned holiday work complete it promptly. I hate procrastination and it is one thing I can never encourage in my children. It is disheartening to witness some children consistently delaying tasks, even those that are unnecessary, only to panic and rush to complete them at the last minute. 

You can ask them to create a clear daily work schedule with timelines. Take time to discuss individual schedules and understand how they plan to accomplish their tasks. Such a schedule should include household chores. Don’t be tired of supervising what they do daily. When you get back home, let each give a day’s accountability.

Teaching our children roles and responsibilities does not require you to take them on any coaching. Being accountable for what they do daily is one way. In this setting, it is crucial to identify children in need of assistance, comprehend their behaviors, provide guidance to those who lack motivation, and attentively listen to their reports. It is important to note that certain children may face accusations from their siblings. Before administering discipline, it is imperative to listen to their side of the story and make a fair judgment, followed by appropriate disciplinary actions.

To keep children engaged, you could organize group activities with family or friends. Some organizations conduct activities for holidaymakers and children learn good stuff. You can plan to have them participate. 

It would be good to ask each to make a daily report on what they learnt and achieved. You are preparing them for their future. This will help prepare them for future obligations, such as activity reports in offices. Remember, charity begins at home.

The writer is the Executive Director of Hope Regeneration Africa, parenting coach, marriage counselor and founder- Men of Purpose Mentorship Program.

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Dickson Tumuramye is also a passionate speaker on:

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