Positive Parenting

By Dickson Tumuramye A friend's child was distraught after a disappointing performance, and fear arose that he might harm himself. He wished to keep his 'poor' results confidential. In the recently released UACE examination, he anticipated 18-20 points but only achieved 13, and felt he failed miserably. Though comforted by his parents during counseling with an assurance of confidentiality, his distress escalated when the school released exam results, including pictures, on social media. This not only intensified his self-loathing but also bred resentment towards the school for publicizing his marks without consent. This scenario isn't unique; many students face such emotional turmoil. Instances of children resorting to drastic measures post-PLE examination results in the past 5 years underscore a distressing trend that some have resulted in committing suicide. Parents and schools need to do something to alleviate the pressure on both students and teachers. It ra...

By Dickson Tumuramye There's a saying that if you want to hide anything from an African, put it in writing. This indicates a general weakness in reading, especially with lengthy texts. Perhaps, it's due to the absence of a reading culture, where investing time in reading seems like a waste. Traditionally, reading is often confined to academic pursuits, aimed at passing exams. We begin reading in school, focusing solely on achieving high marks. Another context for reading is to learn religious texts like the Bible or Quran, ensuring proficiency in case of a reading task. Unfortunately, we neglect fostering a reading habit in our children outside the academic framework. Yet, reading contributes significantly to language skills, deep understanding, critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, time management, and intellectual development. Initiate the habit of reading storybooks to your children from an early age. Instead of excessive screen time, allocate a few moments e...