2016: Tips for parents

Encourage children to revise their books to improve their school grades. SHUTTERSTOCK 

When it comes to a New Year, it is better to begin it with good advice from people who are older, wiser, and more experienced in life.

Better school performance
Josephat Asiimwe, a counsellor, says even children need to be advised on how they should live in the New Year.

“The life of a child is centred around their performance in school. If their grades were below average this year, they should be advised to use the long holiday to revise and read widely so that they can improve their performance.”

For a child who has had an average performance in the year, this is no time to sit back and relax. Instead, as a parent, you need to advise them that a good portion of their success in life is tied to their school grades. Help them to make realistic resolutions about improving their grades to make excellent marks throughout the year.

Doing simple work
Asiimwe says that if a child is not of school- going age, or is looking at a holiday, their parents should discourage laziness.

“These children should make resolutions to work during the New Year. It does not have to be complicated work. They could work in a shop or in the garden. The aim is to help them make some little money for themselves and to help around the home.”

Let the child know, especially the older teenagers, know that they should make a contribution to the home. They should not see this as some form of punishment but at the end of the month, they will be happy with the extra money in their pockets.

“That little work they do will give them a solid foundation to build their careers,” Asiimwe says.

Beware in the campaign period
Mary Jane Biira, a counsellor at Families Fit for Children, advises parents not to allow young children to go for campaign rallies.

“A lot goes on before, during, and after campaign rallies and children can be at risk. For instance, because of peer pressure, they can engage in activities such as taking down an opponent’s campaign posters. They do not know that this is illegal and they can be arrested for it.”

Besides facing the law for taking down campaign posters, the advice here is that children – and older people – should learn to respect and listen to other people’s views, and live peaceably.

Resist peer group influence
“Parents and children need not surrender to the influence of peer groups,” Biira adds. “Let their eyes remain open in 2016. In this season, we have visitors from villages who will share rooms with the children. Are parents aware of what goes on in those rooms at night?”

Children, especially those who have been locked away in boarding school, find it hard to compress the excitement of sudden freedom. They move around the village and town looking for long lost friends.

In the process, they may encounter criminal characters whose only agenda is to harm them. Therefore, in 2016, you should advise your children to keep their eyes open for such situations. They should know that running away from such situations or reporting them to you, is not a sign of cowardice.
Advice for parents

If you have been too busy making money this year to mind your children, it is time you changed.
“Be conscious of the behavioural changes your child is going through and find out what the causes of these changes are,” Biira advises.