Holidays and kids migration

When December holidays approach it is normally a hectic time for people especially parents. Kids have closed school, these holidays are longer than other terms and so they demand a lot from parents. One thing that most kids like is to travel up and down. It all depends on parents’ financial status, once parents can afford their planned escapades which involve holiday camps, visiting relatives, friends etc….

From my Kenyan experience having studied my kids, those of neighbors and friends, I have come to a conclusion that kids hate to stay at home during holidays and only do so because their parents would not allow them to travel or cannot afford to do so. Most people only travel upcountry to their rural homes during December, a few who can afford tour the country as local tourists and some travel out of the country. In case parents are not traveling to rural homes kids decide to visit relatives’ homes if parents allow. Where there is no control kids can move from one relative to another, from grandparents to aunts, uncles etc…

Apart from kids avoiding to stay at home during holidays and prefer to migrate to relatives’ homes, some parents avoid staying with kids at home during holidays. Such people are a burden to their parents and relatives. I have a relative who would ask relatives to stay with her kids every holiday. When we realized it’s a habit we decided to avoid by giving excuses like we will be traveling out of town or my kids will be also going away and my house help is also going on leave, so they will not get people in the house.

It’s been hectic for me since my kids closed I have traveled upcountry to our home and back but they are not satisfied they still had to go and visit my parents. It is a good time for kids to visit their grandparents. I avoid long visits of other relatives because I feel it is burden may be once in a while and some relatives cannot be trusted. Otherwise traveling is a good way for them to pass the long holidays instead of being idle and getting into bad habits.

Happy Holidays.