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The Back-to-School Survival Guide for Parents in West Africa: Managing Stress, Costs, and New Routines
When Mariama, a mother of three in Freetown, was asked how she feels about the start of the school year, she laughed nervously: “It is like running a marathon without training. One day it’s holidays, the next day you are standing in the market arguing about shoe prices and searching for a missing belt.” Across Sierra Leone and West Africa, Mariama’s words echo in countless homes. The back-to-school rush is not just about sharpened pencils and new timetables: it is about the emotional, financial, and logistical weight that families carry every year. And the numbers back the stories. Mental health: The World Health Organization estimates that 1 in 7 adolescents…
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LAST-MINUTE DIY FAMILY ACTIVITIES BEFORE BACK-TO-SCHOOL
The back-to-school season is approaching, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop! Before the hustle and bustle of school schedules take over, seize the opportunity to create lasting memories with your family through engaging DIY activities. In this interactive guide, we’ll walk you through a variety of exciting and easy-to-organize family activities that will leave everyone smiling. Nature Scavenger Hunt Venture into the great outdoors for a nature scavenger hunt! Craft a list of treasures like shells,colourful leaves, and unique rocks. Then, explore your backyard or the beach, embracing the thrill of discovery. Who can find the most items on the list? The winner gets to choose the…
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PW232 PUBERTY PARTY: THE WHY, THE WHAT & HOW.
Puberty is the stage in someone’s life when their body starts to become physically mature. The puberty community service event is held yearly by the Power Women 232. PW232 is a network that brings professional women and entrepreneurs together to promote career advancement and development in all fields, through networking, leadership development, social events and community projects. The PW232 PUBERTY PARTY 2022: Brunch Edition was held on Saturday 11th June, at the prestigious Freetown City Council Complex, Freetown – to educate girls and boys who have reached puberty and are now matured enough to understand the responsibilities that comes with their body and their duties towards family and the society. In…
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PARENTING THROUGH A PANDEMIC
The 1st half of 2020 has been real and life changing in so many ways, it feels like we’ve been here for over 3 years. The world is dealing with a pandemic and as of today’s date (29/6/2020), almost half a million lives have been lost to COVID19. That is half a million families that have lost a loved one and dealing with the aftermath. With the exception of our amazing and brave frontline healthcare and essential service workers, we have all had to slow down due to government-imposed measures to restrict movement and curb the spread of the virus. As a result, those of us who live with family…
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3 TIPS FOR PARENTS ON SENDING YOUR KIDS TO SCHOOL DURING A PANDEMIC
There are a thousand questions about how your kids can safely go back to school amidst a global pandemic. Unfortunately, no one has all the answers, Yet. Until they do, we’ll have to work together and approach it smartly. With around 54 million children out of school in the U.S. alone, it’s going to be a huge undertaking to bring them back. All that being said, there are things you can do to make sure your children are ready to go back to school. We’ve compiled a list of tips on how to do just that. 1. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions Schools have lots of options when it…
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AWESOME IDEAS FOR KEEPING CHILDREN ENTERTAINED DURING THE HOLIDAYS
Christmas is fast approaching and that means school and day-care breaks as the wonderful caregivers also spend some much-needed time with their families.For a lot of parents, I know that our thoughts are filled with 1 question; How to entertain and keep our children busy during this period when they are home? Are they getting too much screen time?Would the activities be as stimulating as the ones they engage in at school or day-care? If you are a mother working out of the home, those questions are followed by others such as ‘Would the caregiver at home stick to the schedule when I am not there?’, ‘How do I monitor…
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SIX POWERFUL WAYS TO GAUGE YOUR CHILD’S BACK TO SCHOOL VIBES
Back to School! It’s been in the air heavily for the last few weeks. The bitter end to holidaying, the fun sort of disappears when you think of the school runs, packed lunches not forgetting figuring what to wear. Oh how we dread going back to school after the holidays. Well for most of us , the ordinary parents who try to be just that. Nothing magical but real authentic: we nag when we have to , read a story when we can’t wiggle out of it and serve packaged meals (all those nuggets and fries, just the thought makes you want to sign up for confession everyday). Their is…
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GREAT IDEAS ON EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING FOR MOTHERS WORKING OUT OF THE HOME
I have had 2 babies in the space of 2 years which means that for the last 2 years, I have been either pregnant or breastfeeding. When I got pregnant with my first child, I honestly gave not much thought to how I was going to feed the baby. I was more interested in the cute little outfits and baby paraphernalia; which are on the market in abundance. I was ooh-ing and aah-ing over cute little rompers and wondering whether I should get wipe warmers (don’t get them. There’s absolutely no point to them). I downloaded an App (Pregnancy+) to keep track of my baby’s development and I am truly…
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NYANDEBO XPERIENCE: MAMA TRAVEL DIARIES
Mama Travel Diaries Exotic Destinations June 2019. Adventurous Parent Join the Travelling Family Club Open to Worldwide Collaborations. MY LIFE AS A TRAVELLING MAMA Dear Stranger, My name is Mahawa. Once upon a time I enjoyed shopping above all things. At least so I thought well till the internet made shopping virtually accessible. Truth is I enjoy reading, and writing in a diary; my hand writing is terrible so I now use an online diary to ponder my thoughts. I gain pleasure from going back to my entries and re-visiting my thoughts. My favourite diary entries were of me at 14 years old. Till date, those entries are…
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BEING MORE THAN JUST A PROVIDER: THOMAS ARUNA’S TAKE ON FATHERHOOD
“Like any rational and progressive human being, there are many things I would like to accomplish, the most important among which is to have a happy family and help the underprivileged. Growing up, I have always believed that human happiness comes from the smallest of positive changes we make in life.” I am an alumnus of St Edwards Secondary School and the Albert Academy. A logistics graduate and a chartered member of the Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT, Ghana). I have had over 12 years of progressive experience in Logistics operations. However I consider my biggest achievement to be the day I became a father. For me, the…
