Keep children's discipline in check even when visiting
Jan 25, 2013
A week at Jaja’s place is a welcome venture for my children. Every child loves Jaja’s place for a number of reasons. First of all, they will watch TV untill they dose off.
Mum's heart: Mama Tendo
A week at Jaja’s place is a welcome venture for my children. Every child loves Jaja’s place for a number of reasons. First of all, they will watch TV untill they dose off.
And of course no one spanks at JaJja’s place.
Spanking is not allowed unlike like mummy and daddy who will spank you for any slight misdeed, who would not wish to be raised by Jajja where there all these freedoms? That is why whenever my children are leaving Jajja’s they are always in tears.
Jajjas certainly have a great role in play in the lives of our children. They have a lot of patience with their grandchildren. They many times sacrifice to make grand children happy.
The challenging thing is that because of the relaxed attitude towards discipline and hard work, many times children decline from the standards that have been laid up at home by strict parents. I sometimes curtail the visit to grand ma because of that.
But there are survival tactics that have helped me. I cannot deny children the joy of visiting and enjoying themselves at their grandmothers’ completely. So this is what you should do to avoid their decline in discipline.
1 Give rules to grandma regarding your expectations on discipline and the time the children should go to bed. She is likely to shun them but insist on your values and with time she will accept.
2 Give the children a talk before they go visiting. Remind them about what you have been teaching them. Encourage them to practice them even if you are not with them.
3 If the children are to stay there a the whole holiday, make sure you call if possible on the daily basis to find out how they are. Hearing your voice will keep them in check of any unbecoming behaviour.
4 When they return try to review the visit. Let each give a report on how they acted and how they can grade their behaviour against the values you have been teaching them at home.
Children visiting their grand parents is a welcome idea. But we should watch out for the liberalism which is most times tolerated grandparents.
mamatendo@yahoo.com