How parents are engaging the youth during holidays

Schools broke off for holidays last week and for many parents this presents a big headache. How do you keep the young ones pre-occupied in productive work? Youth Blitz talked to several parents and here are their suggestions.

Ivan Kabasanda, a parent of three children said the best way to keep youth occupied this holiday is being ensuring that youth engage in domestic work.

This, he says, will keep them away from engaging in risky and destructive behaviour. It will also equip them with life skills needed for survival.

Kabasanda said a parent can come up with a daily work schedule for housework during this holiday.

“Today if one child is cleaning the house, the other should clean the utensils while another can wash clothes,” Kabasanda said.

Rita Ayebazibwe, a mother of two teenage daughters agreed with Kabasanda. She said youth need to do something productive in the holidays.

Her plan, she said, is to send her daughters to so some communal work at a local church in Ssonde, Wakiso district.

“I want them to become spiritual while at the same time helping out with the work at the church,” she said.

At the church they help in cleaning the chairs and windows and ensuring that worshippers find an orderly and clean place.

For Fredrick Mutyaba, a businessman, holidays present an opportunity for him to nurture his children in business. Mutyaba owns one of the biggest wholesale shops in Kyaliwajjala and this presents an opportunity.

“They will be working at the shop. I want to teach them the value of making money, the value of saving,” said Mutyaba who dropped out in senior four.

Mutyaba said he will pay the children for the work done and because of this, he will not give them pocket money for the new term.

Some parents said they will leave their children to concentrate on academic work because some are candidates.

Pamela Asio, a banker said her daughter is due to sit her Primary Leaving Examinations at the end of the year and she does not want to bother her with any domestic work.

“I want her to concentrate on books because exams are around the corner. I want her to pass highly,” Asio said.

Yet whatever the plan, parents agreed that young people need to be kept active these holidays.