- The perennial fear that prolonged vacation may expose them to harmful behaviour is still there.
- Life coach Caroline Gaithuma, however, says there is no cause for alarm.
Image: FILE
Learners will have a two-month break after schools closed on November 25.
Learning is set to resume on January 23.
Whereas long holidays offer parents sufficient time to catch up with their children, the perennial fear that prolonged vacation may expose them to harmful behaviour is still there.
Life coach Caroline Gaithuma, however, says there is no cause for alarm.
She says parents should use the long break to expose their children to all dimensions of life, away from the school environment which they are accustomed to for them to be well-rounded human beings.
“As a parent, it’s your responsibility to think about what else does your child need to be successful in life, other than school and academic achievements? Think about your kids’ talents, skills, points of interest and what you can expose them to,” Gaithuma said.
The expert suggested enrolling children in mentorship programmes for the acquisition of life skills, development of their talents or discovery of new ones.
She, however, discouraged parents from creating the school environment back at home for fear that children may forget what they learnt at school.
“Holidays need to give them the experiences that they need, to develop other dimensions of their lives. Don’t just throw them into tuition,” Gaithuma said.
Social development is also critical for a child’s growth, parents shouldn’t ignore this during school holidays.
Gaithuma said it is important for children to bond with relatives as it averts the risk of isolation in their adult life.
“Do they know their cousins and their grandparents? This is very important because they will need a community around them when they grow up,” she said.
Parents should plan family visits for children to socialise with grandparents, uncles and aunties.
Those in the rural setting can also consider visiting close relatives in town for their children to experience different environments.
“Adults also have very few schoolmates that they continually engage but the constant people are family and friends made along the way,” Gaithuma said.
She said besides engaging children in positive activities, parents should get comfortable with spending quality time with their children for purpose of developing family harmony.
“A lot of parents may be thinking of getting rid of their children by sending them to camps or upcountry like they are a plague that needs to be kicked out,” Gaithuma said.
She, however, said the parent-child relationship is vital to a child’s well-being because parents are a big influence on their children.
Studies show that parents influence their children’s attitudes towards societal virtues like religion and career choices.
Further, psychology dictates that children who have stronger relationships with their parents are more likely to trust their opinion and seek their guidance and support whenever they encounter challenges in life.
The stronger the bond between a parent and their child, the less likely the child will want to disappoint the parent.
“If you put all that into consideration you will realise that it’s not a long holiday because there are so many experiences that you can expose your children to,” Gaithuma said.