Childhood is such a special period in one’s life and lots of wonderful memories are made along the way. We tend to live on with these memories throughout our lifetime and they also help shape our future in a way. Children that had a vibrant childhood full of fun and bonding with parents through various activities become better adults and better parents as well. The same may not apply for children that were abused, neglected and given adult roles at tender ages.

I have vivid memories of my childhood, it all feels like yesterday. I remember those dark evenings characterised by loading shedding by Uganda Electricity Board then, Dad would sit us down around a lamp and tell us old stories that his mother had told him. Surprisingly these were not your ordinary bedtime stories, they had key learning points which Dad would highlight to us. The stories were embedded with lots of morals which we’ve never forgotten. At times he could read you Luganda novels like Zinunula Omunaku….and many others.

Then came school visitation where Dad and Mum always came together to check out my progress. Whether with car or not, they always came and ensured to check out my performance. I look back today on these and value more the sacrifice they made then as many parents. Today, my husband and I always look forward to school meetings and visits for our children because of this background; we don’t let work and other commitments get in the way of this obligation.

All above memories and many more are priceless; we share them with our children and our parents as well; they are fun to talk about, bring lots of laughter and have created a lasting bond between us.

It’s our role as parents to make childhood fun and memorable for our children. We don’t need to be wealthy do achieve all this, we just have to give time to these little ones and do a little sharing with them.

Below are fun activities you may do with your children during this 21 day Covid lockdown to create lasting memories for them.

• Have bible study together as a family
• Plant and care for a garden together
• Exercise together by taking up a family sport.
• Bake an Easter or Christmas cake together
• Celebrate birthdays and anniversaries together
• Take a hike around your neighborhood or on a local trail.
• Sing and dance together
• Have a picnic in your backyard
• Have a movie night
• Have a family meeting where you may discuss crucial issues; it will surprise you but our kids too have complaints about us as parents
• Cook various recipes together

These and many more activities that you can think of shall go a long way to creating lasting memories for your children during this unplanned holiday.

Always remember its never too late, start now and enjoy yourself and take some crazy photos and videos along the way.