Positive Parenting

By Dickson Tumuramye Many of our children today live in a world where a smartphone, tablet, or laptop is always within reach. They are exploring social media, chatting with strangers in online games, scrolling through TikTok, joining WhatsApp groups, and clicking on pop-ups without thinking twice. While this digital exposure can be good for learning and creativity, it has also created a silent door through which online predators access our children. Many young people fall into traps without even realizing they are being targeted, and by the time parents notice, their emotional, psychological, or even physical safety has already been compromised. How Predators Disguise Themselves Online Predators rarely appear as dangerous individuals. They enter children’s online spaces pretending to be friendly, helpful, or “cool.” In Uganda, many of these interactions happen on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, online gaming chat rooms, and even basic WhatsApp groups. A predator may use a you...

By Dickson Tumuramye Many parents invest so much in raising children that we often struggle to know when to step back. We sacrifice, guide, protect, and provide. Yet one of the greatest gifts we can give our children, especially when they transition into adulthood, is the gift of independence. Today, many families are grappling with adult sons and daughters who are working, earning, and even married, but still fully dependent on their parents for survival. If we do not challenge them to think outside the box, we risk raising adults who remain emotionally, financially, and mentally dependent long into their thirties and forties. It is difficult, but necessary, to let our adult children struggle a bit, think critically, solve problems, and learn to stand on their own. Stop Spoon-Feeding Your Adult Children Spoon-feeding does not stop at childhood. Many adults remain dependent because their parents never allow them to feel the weight of responsibility. A young man may be earning a...