80S VERSUS 21ST CENTURY!

When I was growing up, I recall some very interesting corrective measures my mum used in those days.

She could flog, beat, delay your meal or deny you some special offers given to other siblings just to drive home her message that you have committed a crime and ensure you remain on the right part of righteousness.

My mum could even take you to church for deliverance with compulsory fasting, against your wish of course.

These were a few of the common means of correction practiced in the 80s by our mothers.

Unlike these 21st century mothers who now claim that using cane on a child is child abuse.

Please I beg to differ.

My mum's method, though I thought it was wickedness then, but now I appreciate the fact that she didn't hesitate to correct us when necessary because I can boldly say that my siblings and I turned out right.

I personally do not agree that a child, especially an African child, should be allowed to grow without certain means of correction or proper discipline.

Our skin is too tough to be pampered always. No, it's not in our nature.

I believe that discipline is very important, as important as the air you breath.

Even God disciplines the one he loves.

If you dare try to give an African child free hand, hmm, you are on your own.

Whatever you see, please take it in good faith.

My point is this, there should be a balance.

Just like the Bible says in Ecclesiastics, there is time for everything.

With the evolution of digital children, every parent should find a way to mix both methods of upbringing.

Yes, there should be time for cane and a time for oral correction or dialogue.

Let me give you a practical example.

I was doing laundry the other day and I helped my daughter wash her uniform after that I called her to get some hangers for them.

She brought the hangers and asked, "Mummy where should I drop it?" and I replied, "Drop it on my head!"

I'm sure those of you from my generation can relate with this.

In those days when your mum tells you to drop something on her head there are two options:

A. Drop it on her head and get the beating of your life since you're a fool.

B. Receive instant wisdom and do what you are supposed to do correctly.

Most of us chose the latter. I haven't met anyone who chose option A because I doubt if they lived to tell the story.

Anyway back to my story, immediately I told Presh to drop the hanger on my head, she just collected the clothes and started spreading them on the hanger sharpily.

Now my question is, what made her do the right thing?

You see that our mother's methods always come in handy.

My children are pure digital natives, true, there are times when I sit and discuss with them and we analyze their actions and it's consequences like ndi ocha (the white people) but when oral correction or dialogue is not working, I bring out doctor do-good.

For us to raise a disciplined generation that will make us proud, corrective measures must be a mixture of the 80s and 21st century style.


Do you agree with me?




© Onyinye Udeh.

Comments

  1. I agree with you 80%, the remaining 20% goes to those kids who come from Christian homes but turn out to be terrible people .

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    1. @samuelunachukwu you do have a point. But I believe there's something that went wrong in their upbringing. Their parents may have either been too lenient or too harsh. That's why I'm talking about balancing it.

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  2. The balance is key. For me i will do everything within by power (knowledge) to help them be right. The Biblical Principle of train up a child in the way he should go factored in both the 80s and 21st century even when it spoke that sparing the rod would spoil the child. So what are we not talking.

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