SPARE THE CHILD AND LOSE 21K?

Hannah Ejimofor

My pants down and buttocks bare;
Laid on the punishment table.
Regretting my actions of the past hours.
Recollecting marks that I earned in this position.
And here I am again;
Like meat on the butcher’s table, ready to be cut in pieces with the whip.

First stroke and I didn’t flinch;
Saw daddy’s energy in the second, maybe I really pissed him off.
Wham! My ass breathing pain in and out.
I could see my siblings laughing from the other corner.
Mother preparing a consoling speech in her mind for me.
I already hate whoever told Dad to keep saying “Spare the rod and spoil the child”.

~ Siruis

So, today everyone is talking about the child that came out with a poor grade and was beaten (few slaps) by his dad on Twitter. I will like to dissect the issue from both the dad’s side and the boy’s side; and finally we can draw our conclusion without judging anyone.

I can still remember back then when I was about entering a senior class, I was supposed to choose a career path. I wanted to be a lawyer, argue in court and win cases. It looked so sweet being a public figure and all. Then we got a visit from one of my aunties; while we were discussing, she told my parents about ‘Nursing’ and how nurses made good cash outside the country.

The next week in school, I saw myself writing down science courses. I felt great because it made my parents happy, I was going to be a nurse. I quit arguing with people during conversations, it was of no use after all. Then I tried loving biology, but it was difficult; so many scientific names, so I failed and kept failing, dad was pissed!

Most times, children needs to be heard; to be understood and finally to be guided. But what most parents do is: choose, enforce, dictate and sponsor. Maybe, what that child actually needed was to be a musician, to go into music and do songs. But his dad wanted him to be a scholar, to study.

No! I’m not against education, neither am I against parental guidance. But I think we should listen to the kids, try to hear them out, rather than pushing them hard. The dad, on the other hand, wasn’t wrong in any way by scolding his son. He spent the money after all; and I believe, he wants the best for the child. But, what if the best he wants; isn’t the best the child needs? What if the child was only trying to let the dad see that this path I’m treading, isn’t what I need?

A little bit of understanding would have saved the wasted millions.

Don’t choose their career!

Observe them, listen to them and then guide them without creating pressure on them.