| Communication key to healthy families |
Daughters have a closer relationship with their fathers, so how should parents manage this relationship? Prof Meoli Kashorda says mothers should encourage this relationship so that fathers can communicate family values to the daughters.
Speaking at a parent's seminar at the University, Prof Kashorda said if mothers are uncomfortable with the closeness between daughter and father, it means the relationship between spouses is poor. The seminar was on family relationships. The seminar held on Saturday, 24th November was facilitated by Family Network. Other issues tackled at the seminar included factors threatening marriage today, family in our hectic times, romance in marriage and the place of house helps in the home. Ms Mary Kibera of Family Network said communication was key to stable families. "Communicate, communicate, communicate – that will solve most if not all of your problems," she said. She added that most people getting into marriage today are doing so with half-hearts. "We have forgotten what marriage is – which is about giving oneself 100%," she observed. "Spouses talk about their rights in marriage and say I can only go so far. They forget, the more you give, the more you receive," she said. Ms Kibera said that spouses need to find time out – just the two of them - where they can relax and talk things over calmly. This could be over a meal in a restaurant. Ms Kibera asked parents to be wary of the media. "The media is taking away genuine intimacy in the family. It eats into family time and also influences family values and perceptions negatively," she said. Parents were urged not to be closed up but involve neighbours and relatives in their family lives. Families were also urged to pray together and also to give children responsibilities at home. This was the seventh parents' seminar this year. The seminars are organized by the mentoring Department. The head of the department, Miss Angelica Kiboro says the parents' response has been great. "And the parents are always asking for more since they find the seminars very useful. They get invaluable insights from the seminars. They also get to network among themselves. They are also happy they can get books on parenting from the bookshop," Ms Kiboro said. |
