Positive Parenting

  By Dickson Tumuramye As years go by, balancing work, life, and family responsibilities seem to becoming  an uphill task. How well these responsibilities are balanced directly affects one's quality of life, work, and our family members. It seems women are good at multitasking but this is not easy for men. Conversely, there is also an increasing percentage of men  neglecting their mandate to provide for their  families, forcing women to plug  the gap. Women inevitably take up the responsibility of family breadwinner as well as raising the children. In regard to parents working outside the home, owing to heavy load and tight deadlines, many work overtime,  sometimes  on weekends, and others carry work home. There are parents who   work at distant stations. These factors contribute to work-related stress and fatigue. In addition, parents have social engagements, for example, patronizing bars, or church after work and return home late....

By Dickson Tumuramye It is not always easy for some people to save money. While some people despise their income as too little for saving, others have enough to save but do not know how. In the parable of the talents in the Bible (Matthew 25:14-30), each man was given a certain amount of money, but only two out of three used it appropriately. The two invested their money and it earned interest and multiplied. He who hid it remained with the same amount, which was also taken away from him by the master and given to the one with more. Therefore, the one who has more will always be added to more. This is why your children need to learn the value of saving and growing their money at a tender age. I have also heard testimonies of 3 children below 15 years old who saved from their pocket money with the purpose of doing something and they have achieved their goals. T hey started with buying some chicken and that later developed into a piggery project. A savings culture is a...

By Dickson Tumuramye  Most children report back to school this week and next week. Take time to talk to them, because there is too much pressure this term.  It doesn't matter how your child performed last term or at primary seven, and senior four, this is not only a promotional term but it also determines one's progress to another level in their academic career. This level could be senior one, senior five, or any post-secondary institution of higher learning.  Your child(ren) needs uplifting words to carry them through this term. Some may have fallen sick last term, others could have missed some classes/exams due to other reasons, others are average performers and they are scared of this third term.  They are not sure whether they are going to improve their performance or they may be demoted or advised to try somewhere else. A child with all that running in his/her mind may get psychological challenges and this could affect their performance.  I...

  By Dickson Tumuramye Oftentimes, our children can choose to be very stubborn or disobedient, and as a parent, you feel there is nothing more you can do for this child.  You have possibly gone the extra mile to press this child to be compliant and respectful but nothing seems to change. Other children behave like kings or bosses before their parents. What they want is what a parent will do. A parent now dances to the tunes of the child. Some parents think they should not exasperate their children and, therefore, they give them all the freedom to do as they please. They handle them like glass. It is now the child who advances the rules and conditions that a parent in this case must follow or else the child throws tantrums. Before you know it, such a child grows up with a lot of self-entitlement and by the time you try to ‘tame’ them, it is too late. As they say, charity begins at home. This child too needs to be trained well to be disciplined. Have you ever visited homes where...

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 ...

By Dickson Tumuramye I listened to a lady's account of being a single mother after her husband's untimely death. Her story resonated with me, highlighting the profound impact of grief.  It made me reflect on how older individuals who comprehend life questions like why, what, when, where, and how may still struggle with loss. But what about young children who cannot fully grasp death? In this contemplative state, my mind wandered back to my own personal experience over fifteen years ago, when I lost my mother shortly after completing my university studies. Even to this day, it sometimes feels as though it were all a surreal dream.  Yet, the uncertainty of whether I will ever have the opportunity to reunite with her lingers in my thoughts. The profound impact of death or other tragic events can leave individuals in a state of self-denial, struggling to come to terms with the irrevocable loss of a beloved parent. In light of these reflections, it becomes essential to consider how...