Yet again the children are home, except for those still at school waiting to do national exams.

With the Covid-19 restrictions still tight, parents and guardians can use this opportunity to equip their children with some key skills, mostly those they don’t learn at school. These skills can help them as they grow up.

Last week we looked at ways to keep the little ones busy but for children in upper grades, these skills can come in handy as they progress and prepare them for the future.

While holidays are about relaxing, children can easily relapse when they are granted a lot of free time for play or TV.

Now that they have a lot of time at home, there are fun ways to help them to master the below skills, which experts say can be helpful in their education and career later in life.

Communication and public speaking skills: These are very important skills for children, particularly those approaching teen age or upper grades because soon they will need to start expressing themselves in a more mature and comprehensible manner.

According to Epiphanie Mukamusoni, a teacher and pedagogic psychologist, very often, some kids will choose to be withdrawn or reclusive just because they fear speaking before people.

"Parents or guardians start assuming that it is their nature or character but in actual sense they are just shy and need simple training to overcome their fears,” Mukamusoni says.

It takes a simple effort to teach children how to effectively communicate and speak with people than it is for adults because these skills are learned early.

Allow them to read a newspaper or article online or watch news and engage them on what they watched or read. Observe how they speak and package their message and help them where necessary, to hone their skills.

This will boost their confidence and prepare them to face their fears and also be employable in future. Most employers look for people who can effectively communicate when they are hiring.

Leadership skills: Leadership comes out of responsibility. During holidays, use the opportunity to give children responsibilities and from their actions gauge whether they exercised leadership or simply did it to get away.

Unfortunately, today parents and guardians get so busy and assume that kids will find their way through everything. However, most will shy away from responsibility and leadership when they are not supported.

Problem solving, tackling challenges, seeking their views on current affairs and society issues can whip their brain to start thinking positively. The more concerned they get, the more responsible they will be.

You don’t want to raise a child who is indifferent or oblivious of whatever is going on. By teaching them responsibility, you will be nurturing a future leader. Find soft topics or articles on leadership and people to look up to in order to whet their interest.

First aid skills: Does your child know what to do in case of a health emergency? This holiday is a good opportunity to equip them with knowledge and skills that can help save lives.

Among the key skills you can teach them is Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), especially when people around them faint, as well as skills to deal with fractures and injuries.

There are plenty of videos on YouTube with skills of how they can do it as well as programmes on TV channels such as Da Vinci Kids on DSTv (for those who have it). ‘DIY’ and ‘Operation Ouch’ are some of the great programmes that equip children with skills.

This way children will be able to deal with emergencies that happen in their presence and you never know they could save a life or two.

New language: In today’s world, any additional language you know is an additional skill. Kids are able to learn additional languages faster than older people. Use the opportunity to help them learn a new language or reinforce one they are still weak in.

For example, if they are struggling in French or English, use the opportunity to get them fun materials to read or watch, without feeling like they are in class. You will be amazed how much they can learn or strengthen their comprehension of the language.

Apart from improving their understanding of their mother tongue, they can also learn simple basics which are available online for languages such as Mandarin, Spanish, German, etc.

Alternatively, you can download language Apps to help your child learn a new language with ease at home.

Cooking: Cooking is one of the most important skills modern parents ignore, leaving it to house helps or adults at home yet at one point in time, everyone will need to fix a meal when the need arises.

In the traditional Rwandan culture, it is assumed that boys can’t cook and they leave it for girls. Parents and guardians have an opportunity to change this perception during this long holiday.

Let the boys and girls go in the kitchen and fix a simple meal for themselves or others. You will be surprised how interested they will be when they start.

Cooking as a skill comes in handy when they have to live independently, whether it is at university or college or later when they begin to work. Cooking also comes with responsibility.