As schools close for the long December holiday, parents and the society at large must embrace themselves for a vital transition.
The two months children will spend at home are very crucial in shaping their characters, values, health and habits. Therefore, it’s a period where the mantle of guiding our young children must temporarily shift from teachers to parents..
While teachers have spent months educating the children, parents must now step up and actively monitor their children’s behavior, health and emotional wellness entirely. We should not assume that since the children were disciplined at school, now they will remain so at home.
To ensure that our children are protected during the beckoning long holiday, a lot of serious actions needs to be taken.
Parents should frequently engage their children, through open conversations while learning how to keep them on the right track while at home.
Sometimes, it may prove hard for parents to do it alone therefore teamwork is key. Churches together with community leaders must also come together and find meaningful ways to engage children during the holiday season.
During the holiday, idleness can be dangerous, leading children towards harmful activities including early exposure to sexual activities, drug abuse, crime and wayward company.
When children gravitate towards this, it ceases to be an individual problem and becomes a collective societal challenge.
Churches, as moral anchors in most communities, should put the greatest effort in organizing youth programs and mentorship sessions that keep our children busy and connected to positive influences.
On the other hand, addressing topics like peer pressure, dangers of using drugs, and maintaining healthy relationships are key points that religious leaders should address during the holiday so as to provide much needed guidance.
Community leaders together with government representatives should play a fundamental part in ensuring that there are enough resources for extra-curricular activities.
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When talking about community and government leaders’ involvement in guiding our children, activities such as sports, technical skills development programs and arts should be key, making children engaged and out of trouble. In fact, this program not only occupies their time, but also help in nurturing talents and career inspiration outside the classes.
In this collective effort, it’s very crucial to recognize that come January schools will reopen with our children in better shape and more fit mentally just by the activities that took place while they were at home.
When we fail to step in, our children might get involved in negative influences that may completely destroy their lives. And so, everyone should take proactive steps to keep these young people engaged, active, safe, and healthy during the long break.
Our children are the future generation, a cohort of upcoming great leaders. They really deserve love, care, guidance and thorough supervision in this period more than ever.
Parents, let’s come together and ensure they go back to school better, not just as students but outstanding individuals as a whole.
By Besil Otunga
The writer is a Journalism student at Rongo University and a Computer Scientist.
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