Back to school …
Children
(in South Africa) go back to school tomorrow. It’s always an exciting day – especially
for parents – and even for school ‘loathers’. Teachers are (hopefully) fresh
and full of new ideas. Stationary is bought; uniforms are mended (or altered)
and shoes are shiny.
Everybody’s
happy. How do we keep it that way?
Make
your child/ren feel secure.
They’re still learning about the world,
and are irresponsible and adventurous. They need grown-ups they can trust, and
who will teach them skills for life.
Because children copy what they see and hear, you
have to set a good example.
Children
need to be given age-appropriate responsibilities. This makes them feel
needed and important. Children are more responsible than we realise. When mom
was widowed and left with four small children to raise alone, she had to trust
that we would come home from school and do our homework. I was only 11 when I
started cooking the evening meal. Today my culinary skills are impeccable (I
think so) and I can feed a family of six with a single packet of dehydrated
soup – well almost.
Children
need to get off the couch and away from their i-phones and laptops and play.
Sport is good – but running around barefoot on the soft grass is nature’s reflexology.
Play strengthens ankles, uses up energy (and calories) stimulates happiness
hormones, oxygenates brains. Sunshine gives children their daily dose of
Vitamin D. All this adds up to a good night’s sleep.
In
the past, adults were so concerned about their own problems, they never thought
that children could become stressed and depressed. Believe it or not,
once upon a time, it was even thought that babies felt no pain! Today,
thankfully, we understand that little people have emotional needs as much as adults
do and this can be picked up when they start behaving badly, have eating
disorders, regress to baby behaviour, cry when it’s time for school, have
nightmares and are just plain miserable.
Keep
‘em healthy by keeping the germs away:
Teach
kids good hygiene habits
Make
sure they’re eating healthy
Get
their shots on time
Treat
creepy-crawlies promptly (flees, lice and scabies quickly spread in a
classroom environment)
Make
sure they have a regular bed-time
Most
importantly: Enjoy your children. Have fun and learn with them. They’re your
greatest treasures and you’re theirs!
