Take your children upcountry, let them bond with grandparents

When we were growing up, holidays basically meant being shipped to the village where we would spend a whole month in the company of the entire extended family. Grandparents got the opportunity to bond with their grandchildren and cousins looked forward to endless adventures where they also learned teamwork and life skills.

Children brought up in towns would have a chance to learn how to plough the fields and take care of animals. They learnt alternative ways of cooking that did not involve gas or electricity and drank cold water that did not necessarily come from the fridge. More importantly, they learned the virtue of sharing and not getting entitled to their spaces as being in the village with everyone also meant being in each other’s space all the time.