Keep your child busy this holiday

Dec 07, 2010

JOHN MWEBESA, a father of six, always sends his children to the village for school holidays. He says the village keeps them busy and active.

By Maureen Nakatudde

JOHN MWEBESA, a father of six, always sends his children to the village for school holidays. He says the village keeps them busy and active.

However, not all parents are able to send their children to the village.

Whether or not parents are able to send their children to the village, parenting experts advise that children should be kept busy at home during holidays with work to protect them from the dangers caused by redundancy.

Steven Langa, a counsellor with Family Life Network, says parents should not let children eat, watch television, play video games and have fun without work.

While the house-help may be paid to do all the work in the home, experts say children need to work if they are to grow into responsible adults.

“If children don’t work, they never develop a sense of responsibility. This could affect their adult life. Working helps them to learn more so that when they grow up and have to take care of themselves, they will have self help skills,” Langa notes.

John Masembe, a parent, says a child who sits all day playing video games and watching television will not be as healthy as one who does work like gardening, house cleaning and any other household chores.

Julian Sembataya, a business woman and parent in Kampala, says during this holiday, the children can learn some activities like cooking and cleaning the house which would be of great help in shaping their personalities.

He says when the children get used to doing work at home, they learn to respect house-helps who do the same work.

When every kind of work at home is left to the house-help, Langa says, a child can develop a wrong attitude towards work. By leaving all chores to the housemaids, while the children swing in arm chairs, you are teaching your child to fail in life.

Davis Mugisha, a teacher, advises parents to make a timetable and determine who and when certain activities should be carried out.

Children can pick the roles they prefer because they can easily perform them. But they should also try other chores they consider difficult so they can learn something new.

He, however, warns that parents should not forget to include leisure time for children where they can play and also have fun with their friends.

Parents should also remember to offer rewards for the well done work.

Why children should work during the holidays
Philian Ngole, a teacher and parent
In future a girl will be a mother and she will have to train her children to be better persons. How will she do it when she has not had good training as a child? It is impossible to give your children good training if you have never received it from your parents.

Frank Birungi, P.5 pupil, St. Donozio Sebbugwawo Primary School
It is good for us to work during holidays in order to learn how to do things on our own. Working is a sign of discipline. It enables us to stay away from temptations and idleness which can lead us to join bad groups.

Oilish Amule, a guard in Kampala
I think children should work during holidays instead of housemaids because it is the right thing to do. Any good child at home helps with work at home, does not sit to be served but serves others. This is advantageous because when these children grow up, they will aspire to serve others in the community as they did at home hence changing the world for the better.

Rose Amuke, a youth in Kampala
When children return home, there is so much expenditure. Why would a parent pay maids yet he or she has grown-up children who can do the work? Besides cutting expenses, these children will get training that will help them find it easier to work in future and also learn to plan according to the resources at their disposal.






(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});