Each time i talk or write about parents and their children, my mind wanders back to me growing up, to some of the stupid things i did back then and how wise and grown up i felt.
As a first child and a girl child in an African household, i had many responsibilities but i also received a lot of love from my parents, an over dosage of love you may say especially from my lovely mum.
I love her so much too and always looked for something good to do so she would shower me with praises. I cherished all the endearing pet names she used for me. She made me think i was the best in everything. She was my queen and is still my strong female figure.
I was no perfect kid and even though my mum doesn’t talk about my ugly side, i look back some times and just chuckle. My parents were young and poor so they worked very hard to take care of my siblings and i. They thought us the importance of hard work but we also always got a treat. Feeding was never an issue, my mum was ready to spend the whole day’s profit from her petty trade on good food for the family. She made sure we were modestly well clothed and never bothered about herself. I loved my parents so much but i was still a kid and just like the bible said, had foolishness tied to my childish heart.
My parents let us have coca cola drinks occasionally and most times, we got a bottle each but on this particular day when i was about 9 or 10, she bought 3 bottles for a family of seven back then. I remember how upset i was , watching my mum share the drinks in cups. I wondered what was the matter with her, i knew what i was going to do.
The moment she handed me over my cup, i threw back my head and took it down in a gulp and by the time my mother was ready to pray like she did before we ate, i had an empty cup in front of me. She was so upset, i remember getting some serious tongue lashing from her and how i cried and cried. I can imagine how bad she felt.
There was another issue about the way i wore my tiny belt. Some bad girls back then wore their belts very low, almost on the waist line instead of around the navel and i thought it was cool but my mum hated it so much. She adjusted my belt for me each time i wore it that way and i remember thinking in my heart that she knew nothing about fashion. I only listened to her because i loved her and didn’t want her to be upset with me. I honestly thought i knew better but now, looking back, i was just a fool.
About age 12, i had a friend who threw her chest out while she walked, i liked it so much and tried walking like her. When my mum objected, i was secretly thinking that she didn’t know anything about fashion. Severally, she had to literally push back my chest with her hands……So funny how foolish i was.
There was also the head band issue, a colorful ribbon like cloth that i used to tie around my barber cut hair, i used to look in the mirror and think it was gorgeous. My mum tore it off my head each time she saw it on me. I used to cry about that.
From my personal experience, i can imagine how teenagers especially feel when parents try to correct them, i only wish they may love their parents enough to want to obey them. I pity kids of the present generation because they have a lot more to contend with; the internet, social networks and more.
But there are still very good kids out there and if they can do it, you can too.
No perfect kid, not even one but teenagers, PLEASE BE STRONG!!
Parents, When next you correct a child no matter their age, remember you were once like them.
THANK YOU ALL FOR READING!!
My next post will be dedicated to all CHILDREN.
LOVE YOU ALL!!