adminTafadzwa Zimoyo Lifestyle Writer
With the school holidays just around the corner and it also being the festive season, parents face the challenge of how best they can spoil their kids. And in the spirit of wanting to keep your kids occupied especially with things that will leave a lasting impression of you in their minds, parents are now left with the daunting task of how best to keep their kids occupied by the right stuff.
Who wants their child to be that statistic that gets caught up in sex, drugs and worse because they have too much time one their hands and little guidance on how to enjoy it well?
“I now have a headache on how I am going to deal with my two boys aged 17. They are boarders but with this festive season, which is their longest holiday, it is very difficult to occupy them because I don’t know what they want.
“I am thinking of taking them for a vacation in Nyanga, camping, tent and playing darts in the forests,” said 39-year-old single mother from Highlands.
But first and foremost, children need time with their parents. Keeping kids occupied starts with identifying what they prioritise during their “spare time”.
It is not enough to just give children access to things without understanding the impact thereof. Modern gadgets are being abused by kids as they get addicted to the social media leading to dabbling in porn and worse.
If, for example, your kid is a fanatic of Whatsapp, you can try to keep him or her occupied by asking them to perform domestic chores and tailoring your duties around lures that will keep him or her engrossed on the type of duty on hand.
There are aerobics that are screened on television and a host of other similar eye-catching stuff that appears on telly and if your child is passionate about this area of sport, you can use it to as a facility to promote his/her hobby.
While Father Christmas is known for his role of being the traditional dispenser of gifts in the spirit of Christmas and part of its underlying ethos of giving, parents also have an obligation to live to the same after taking note from the works of Father Christmas whose role as a dressed-up character is to instil in people’s minds the spirit of giving.
In similar fashion, giving your child something like a bicycle as a present is one that you can keep your child occupied especially with a hobby that you know is constructive to him or her.
The bottom line, after all, is about not on dictating occupations for our children, but probing their areas of strength.
Remember they are the “Beliebers” — thus from the Justin Bieber world, they know “fun” it all, so you need to be careful.
Here are some ways Saturday Herald Lifestyle thought to help you try and keep kids occupied and happy this festive season:
A Christmas movie
There are a lot of children’s Christmas movies around that are completely appropriate viewing for kids without constant chaperoning by parents. “Miracle on 34th Street” is an old but evergreen favourite, and will keep kids of all ages enthralled.
With the PVR Explora’s decoders, the Catch Up and Box Office can help you too but that is if you are privileged to have one.
Craft activities
Most kids will be happy with some coloured paper and scissors, or sheets of paper and crayons, or a craft corner with a variety of such activities. Mind you first understand if he or she is into art. If you have older kids who are into games then make sure the game-loft is now their best friends but they should not overdo it.
Give them simple chores
You will have a multitude of things to do, and it’s always good if the kids feel like they are doing their little bit. From clearing up their rooms after they are done playing to helping serve the guests, or keeping the water jugs filled, there are a lot of simple tasks they can do to help you out. Even checking the flower pots or making sure the windows are clean can make them busy.
Storytelling sessions
Here again you might need at least one of the older children to help out by telling a story to the younger ones. This can be added to by sessions of “Make up your own story” or “Tell it in your own words” and before you know it the dinner will be all done, and the kids kept happy. This will make an impact especially at church gather- ings.
Hope some of these are going to help you out during your New Year festivities. Wish you a very happy festive season as the countdown begins and a wonderful New Year.
Online Reporter