PARENTS TAKE NOTE!

On my way to work this morning, I boarded a tricycle (Keke) with 3 brothers between the ages of 7 and 11 on their way to school.

Funny enough they paid for only a seat and carried each other on their lap with the elders sitting first.

Sometimes I wonder why some parents allow their kids and wards go through such but then, I don’t need a soothsayer to remind me that the struggle is real.

I offered to carry the youngest on my lap since I knew there was no way they would be comfortable in such an awkward sitting position.

I was the last person to board so there was no way I could pay for an extra seat, which I would have loved to.

A few minutes later I noticed the younger boys kept looking back and stretching their necks backward to see what their elder brother was doing.

It didn’t take long for me to observe that the eldest boy had a black oily nylon bag in his hand and was mischievously helping himself with bites off its content.

Okay let me paint the picture clearer, he had bought some bons, or puff-puff, as it is popularly called.

I don’t know why I feel he had used some of their transport fare for this purchase, I may be wrong though.

Whenever any of them turned to look at him he stopped moving his mouth and pretended to be doing nothing but looking forward.

My grievance is why he refused to share it with his brothers and was pinching and sneaking the bons into his mouth like ‘Anini’.

We hadn’t gotten to half of the trip when the younger ones alighted and walked into their school, which was by the roadside.

At this point, big brother balanced well and helped himself with his bons.

This short drama took me down memory lane to my childhood days.

I have 2 elder ones, and a very retentive memory especially about my childhood so when I tell you that I never experienced such maltreatment from any of them, I’m being very honest.

This is a wake-up call and I am writing this specifically for parents and guardians to please make adjustments as to how you raise your kids.

The truth is that charity begins at home and this fact can never be overemphasized.

Let your children know how important their siblings are and why it is necessary to treat them with love and respect not minding how old they are.

This little boy I sat with was obviously being mean to his younger ones and he didn't see anything wrong with his actions.

There are still lots of cases of bullying among siblings and I believe this must have started from growing up days and watered by negligence on the part of the parents.

If your kids are not raised to love and look out for each other, I wonder if it is a stranger they would care about.

I’m not bragging but I can call any of my siblings at any time of the day and they will speedily come to my aid no matter the situation.

In all sincerity, I don’t know how my mum did it, to ensure that we retain this bond from childhood up till adulthood, but  I have made up my mind to raise my kids to love and care for themselves always.

Dear parents, please be intentional about your parenting, remember the good book says, “Train up a child in the way he should go when he grows up he will not depart from it.”

Trust me if our kids grow up with love it go a long way to affect their lives and those around them positively.

Receive grace to raise good seeds that will make you proud.

Photo credit: Brooke Hamblin Photography

© Onyinye Udeh