Take care of children this holiday season

Many children, especially students at secondary school and at university, will return home with changes to their behavior because of exposure to certain lifestyles and also due to the growth pattern. So it is most likely that parents have to look out for them more than ever before as they discover new traits and habits.

The holiday season, which will include the festive period, comes with a lot of temptations for the youthful members of your households. There will be a flood of parties, outdoor events, and many other activities that may lure your children into unwanted behavior.

A survey published by this newspaper last year indicated that marijuana, cocaine, shisha, heroin, khat (mairungi), cigarettes, and alcohol were among the most abused drugs and substances by school-going children.

Yet that is not the only vice afflicting our children. In September, we reported a study by the Uganda Aids Commission, which revealed that there were 52,000 new HIV infections in the last year. Of the cases, women accounted for 70 percent, with young women and adolescent girls aged between 15 and 25 being the most hit. 

A recent Uganda National Population Council Council report shows that 84 percent of children are sexually abused in the afternoon and evenings, mainly at the roadside and in natural fields.

Relatedly, a Health Management Information System said teenage pregnancy contributed nearly two million births in the country between 2016 and 2020.

The effect of this was increased crime among the school goers, increased cases of stress, mental illness, and dropping out of school. No one would wish their child to go through this.

 The Covid-19 induced lockdown exposed a lot of parental weaknesses because many weren’t used to staying with the children for long as school covered most phases of the year. We hope that parents learnt a thing or two from that period and can make better decisions for their little ones this season.

Here are some measures you may use to keep them safe.

• Discuss boundaries with them and how to behave around people.

• Pay attention to signs of child abuse either at home or among their peers.

• Teach your children to avoid keeping secrets and be free with you.

• Limit one-on-one situations with especially strangers.

• Keep track of your children when out of the home.

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