Child of the week
By Aunty Ronke
Aishat Akindele turned one recentlyPoem:
The Jungle King
It is the nickname
Scary to all human beings
Scary to other animals
In documentaries, it is prominent.
When it moves, it runs
When it talks, it roars
The jungle king is nobody’s friend
Not even the friend of the mighty elephant.
No one dares it
Friend to none, Foe to all
In the zoo, it can be found
In the bushes, it’s there.
But cannot be found in the city.
It is the Lion.
The Jungle King.
Something green
Numerous in number they are
It could be the orange
It could be the banana
The national flag also has green in its colours.
Something green could be anything green
But this ‘Something Green’ is unique
Could you take a wild guess?
Ought to be sweet but bitter
Not the favourite of children.
But very vital for the sick
Sour in taste.
It is the bitterleaf
The green but bitter leaf.
– By Bello Bukola
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Parenting: How to get your children do the chores
Are you raising responsible kids? Yes, you’d say.
But let’s face it, do you come home to find your
kids watching TV, playing video games, or chatting on cell phones? Are the morning and afternoon dishes stacked in the sink for you to wash? Do you want help with laundry, cleaning of rooms and fixing dinner? How then can you raise responsible kids and get the help you need?
To raise responsible kids:
•Be kind and firm:
What you say to your kids and how you say it must reflect your inner conviction that you are the parent. With that inner conviction, your words will be more effective. You won’t be complaining, yelling or mean when telling your kids to do their chores and your kids will know that you are in charge, by being strong, yet serious and calm.
• Avoid the mistake of lecturing
When parents lecture, kids don’t listen. Preaching wastes your time, alienates you from your kids, and increases your tone of helplessness. Instead, use few words and speak with a firm voice.
•Set rules and expectations
Parents make a big mistake when they fail to draw the line. When kids leave dirty dishes, keep messy rooms, and play on the computer without helping, they’re taking their parents as their servants. Therefore, responsible parents should draw the line. That means they should follow through with rules and expectations.
Practice using the above formula consistently, you’ll be teaching your kids to be responsible, at the same time, getting the help you need, and building character too.
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