Veteran actress Patience Ozokwor has cautioned parents against shielding their children from all hardship, saying that it could take away their ability to face life’s challenges.
Ozokwor popularly known as Mama G gave this advice in an interview on Femi Babs TV where she talked about parenting, wealth and raising independent children.
“Perhaps when parents try to protect their children from the hardships they themselves experienced as children, they are depriving them of important lessons in life,” the actress said.
There is a difference, she said, between letting children suffer and letting them struggle through manageable challenges.
“The quickest way to ruin a kid’s life is to say you don’t want them to go through what you went through,” she said. I’m not saying let them suffer. I mean, let them suffer. “Go through the motions.
Ozokwor also spoke of rich parents who leave their children with so many properties without teaching them the value of hard work and the sacrifices that go into acquiring such wealth.
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She cited a parent who owns several houses in different cities, saying that the children may grow up without knowing how hard it was for their parents to acquire the properties.
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“Imagine you have like 20 houses, and they’re not in trouble? You have it in Enugu, you have it in Aba, you have it in Lagos. Your children will just be struggling, “Which one belongs to me? They don’t know how hard you worked to get those things,” she said. Travel Guides & Travelogs
The actress encouraged parents to allow their children to work for what they want, but made sure they understand comfort and privilege is not something to be taken for granted.
Ozokwor suggested that parents should let their children face some of life’s struggles so they can build resilience and appreciate the opportunities that come their way.
‘Children who grow up with too much comfort tend to assume an easy life is guaranteed,’ she said.
“Tell your children the pains of life. They may not know all the pains, but the little they know will tell them that when they look back, they will see that people go through harder ones and they will thank God for where they are,” she added.