School holidays offer families time to strengthen routines and discuss children’s concerns.
Parenting specialists urge families to balance holiday freedom with healthy routines, honest conversations and shared limits on screen use.
Parents should address school holiday risks through open conversations, healthy routines and guidance, parenting specialists advise. Drugs, betting and unrestricted screen use are among their concerns as children spend more time outside school structures.
An earlier NACADA survey found that 48.5 per cent of secondary students identified holidays as a period of greater likelihood of alcohol and drug use. However, child psychologist Peter Muringuh says children need help managing freedom, rather than assumptions that they are troublesome.
He also cautions that apparent laziness or moodiness can reflect recovery after a demanding term. Instead of recreating school timetables, he recommends reasonable waking times alongside reading, play, chores and creative activities.
School holiday risks call for honest conversations
Counsellor and family coach Wainaina Kiganya urges parents to discuss substance use, betting, and sex and relationships. Online platforms have made gambling more accessible to young people, while peers and social media often shape relationship advice.
NACADA’s 2022 survey estimates that 4.7 million Kenyans aged 15 to 65 use at least one drug or substance. It also records some children reporting first exposure to tobacco at six and alcohol at seven.
Meanwhile, counsellor Catherine Mugendi encourages parents to notice unusual silence, excessive phone use or withdrawal from family conversations. Rather than interrogating children, she recommends open-ended questions that make honest discussion easier.
Professor Rebecca Wambua, a parenting author and dean at African Nazarene University, also advocates a safe home environment. She warns that a constant focus on academic results can discourage children from sharing their experiences freely.
Set screen boundaries without constant policing
Kiganya advises families to agree together on boundaries for phones, gaming, mealtimes and bedtime. The aim is to protect sleep, learning, play and family interaction, rather than ban technology altogether.
For younger children, WHO recommends no screen time under one and a daily maximum of one hour for ages two to four. Meanwhile, the American Academy of Pediatrics favours family media plans over fixed hourly limits for older children.
Muringuh also urges parents to know their children’s friends, whereabouts and activities without turning supervision into constant policing. Changes in mood, sleep, appetite, friendships or spending should prompt a conversation. NACADA reports that family members account for 54.5 per cent of treatment referrals.
For parent Miriam Mworia, allowing her 14-year-old son to rest after returning from boarding school opened that door. When he woke, he discussed a supportive teacher, a friend’s vaping and a dorm mate’s betting losses. Listening helped her understand concerns beyond his grades.
