@ofliesandtalent

I'm talking kids today.
There is this TV show that showcases (I hate the word but...) children's talents. I happily informed my sisters to make sure to tune in and ensure that my nieces and nephews would be watching. But I do not know if they were as disappointed as I was. For wriggling of waists, shaking of bum feathers and prancing around the stage like frightened horses was all they could show.
Dancing, dancing and more dancing!
This is what parents, teachers and the children they teach call talent today.
Disappointing.
I looked at those poor kids dressed in their skimpy skirts, shorts and kundi shows and pitied them. These are children who are exposed to television and video games in their free time. They know nothing about playing kwepena, duulu, marbles, kicking football, Ludo, Monopoly, Chanisi (aka Playing Cards). All they see is twerking, winding and gyrating, modelling, strutting... that is what they call Talent.

I was so looking forward to seeing a child designing a dress, playing the flute, ballet dancing, acting, singing (and not a Chris Brown song please), making jewelery, reciting a poem, painting, drawing, playing the piano, acrobatics, juggling, stand up comedy. Anything but RihannaKaty PerrieNicki Minaj-aping.
What happened to recognizing and training the abilities in our children? What happened to good old having time for children? What happened to those special classes for our children?
I cannot tell if it is problem with our curriculum, if it is our way of thinking- the "okusoma" syndrome- that children go to school just so that they can pass exams and get good government jobs; or is it that parents do not have time for their kids anymore, that every household must have a television set (the richer ones have DSTV) and that when the children are "feeling bored", then all they need to do is to flick the switch and be entertained; do the teachers even know what talents are?
There is also this syndrome of having nursery school kids stay at school the whole day--- doing what?? And this comes with an extra fee, by the way.
What about the issue of coaching for a Primary One child? That is really the icing on the cake! I say, a six year old still has six more years of primary school education, another six of seconday school education and another three, or four perhaps of university. So--- explain to me why you are overloading this child with boring data and information that he cannot even take in, making him carry a bag-load of books and damaging his poor back????? Mbu the child needs extra coaching???
And pray, tell me, where then does this child get the time to cool off. By the way, people ignore this, but it is an important aspect in a child's development. Cooling off time. Kick some ball, do some kwepena.
I was shocked when my sister told me that her daughter- 3 years old and in baby class- had HOMEWORK!!! Homework!!!!!!!!!! H-O-M-E-W-O-R-K!!!!!!
This is what makes children hate school. Its all about work, work and more work. What happened to fun? Fun-you have to pay for it. Swimming, trips... you have to fork money. Like the other day my niece's school was taking the kids to Freedom City Play Park. To swing and slide and swim. Mbu 30,000 shillings!!! Plus bring a packed lunch.

More ranting-- this time about April Fools Day.
Who the hell said this is about lying, telling lies, call it whatever you want.
I was reading the Toto children's mag in the New Vision and this reporter had gone around asking kids what they have done on April Fool's Day. And all ALL the answers were about lies, telling lies.  "I lied to my parents that I was sick; I lied to my friend that I had kept her books; I lied to my brother that I would give him a sweet".
So, who will tell these kids that the day is about hoaxes, jokes and pranks and that you need good ideas and creativity and enough time to pull it off. Not have the talent of being a good liar. I'm sure the reporter was the one who created the lying concept. Shallow mind.

April Fool's Day- a day when people play practical jokes. It is about light-heartedness. The pranking period expires at 12pm on 1st April.

Nobody ever said it was about telling lies, lying etc!!!