TOPIC TODAY: Are You a Blueprint or a Warning as a Parent? Our homes are the first schools of character. Every exchange - whether in anger or affection - is a lesson in the classroom of life. Does the responsibility of "modelling" make you feel empowered or trapped? Can a man be a "Traditional Authority" while still being a humble Partner to his wife? The Big Question: If your child grew up to treat their partner exactly the way you treat yours today, would you be proud or terrified?
The evening rain in Ikeja is drum-beating against the roof of Evking’s Bar , but inside, the mood is contemplative. Jide is tracing the condensation on his glass, thinking about a story his neighbour told him about a 15-year-old who tried to "negotiate" a time-out using the exact legal jargon his father uses on work calls. "They are little tape recorders," Jide says quietly. "They don't just hear what we say; they record how we breathe when the bill comes, how we look at our partners when we're tired, and how we treat the gateman." OLA: So, what you’re saying is that from the moment I have a child, my "freedom" is gone? I can't live "YOLO" (You Only Live Once) anymore because I have a mini-me watching my every move. That’s a heavy prison, Jide. If I’m stressed and I shout, I’m "teaching violence"? That’s a lot of pressure. JENNIFER: It’s not a prison, Ola, it’s a Social Learning environment. Children ...