CandidNotes:
Africa is better, BY FAR. In the West, you gain the whole world but you are 99% likely to lose your soul. In Africa you lose the world but keep your soul.

RisenPhoenix1:


What does an adult African man have to fear from his parents or elders? It's not about fear, but it's ingrained. For example, I could never consider abandoning my parents in a home for the elderly, and not because I'm afraid of them, or my community, but because I know inwardly that it's wrong. Western culture does not engender any attachment to parents or resect for elders, and in fact, provides children with an opportunity to be indisciplined.

Acting in community expectation can always be defined as being caged. But if it really was, then we should consider drug dealers, robbers, kidnappers and murderers as the more pragmatic individuals who have become independent of the 'societal cage'. Disrespect for parents and other elders may not be criminal, but it's morally wrong...which is why society condemns it, just as it condemns other anti social behaviour.

Aboguede:


I have read most of your comments on this topic and I am also in the western world too but like I said b4 a cow can not bear an elephant!

You give what u have. Environment is what u make of it., the entire world is the same.

Ciao

ekerintee:
I stay in Europe and will Tell you that , a child born in Nigeria is smarter than a child born abroad at the Initial Stage of Life .maybe along the Line ,its Reverse .Most africa Parent especially Nigerians are busy running after Money and dont teach their Kids value ,this Kids tend to follow the Western Kids ,badly influenced .This Kids can call Police for their Patents ,they are spoilt Brat.For busy Parent,the best place to train a child is africa .but Parent WHO have time ,abroad May be Beter .This Kids are taught Western culture in school,they are told they have right to call Police ,you cant shout on them when they are wrong ,they Report you to the authorities.unless a Parent WHO have time to train this Kids .They are bound to be Bad Kids,the Life abroad is hard for Most african Parent who are struggling to survive .You Guys May Not Unserstand how busy some people are working 12 hours or more in a day,going Back Home tired .so Tell me how this Kids wont be Bad .in Nigeria ,any Body can coreect or Help u train a child ,but abroad ,No one .so that is my View

Godbpraised:
This is my take, i feel that it would be better to bring the child up in Africa at his/her formative ages, once he attains age 17 or 18 years send him back to the West. That way he/she would appreciate what you have done as a father or mother.

Klass99:


Okay.

@ Topic, I am undecided but something an Arab cabbie in the UK said to a friend has stuck with me.

He said, in all his time of being a cabbie conveying people/families around, he noticed that kids of indians and asians, held on to their cultural values, tend to be respectful and not easily influenced or carried away by the negative aspects of Western culture.

However, when it came to us Africans (he specifically mentioned Nigeria and other African countries) he noticed our kids tend to be disrespectful, eager to embrace the negative aspects of western culture and discard theirs, while the parents seem overwhelmed and at a loss on how best to handle their own kids.

He went on to narrate an interaction between a son and a mother in his cab of Nigerian origins that enraged him and broke his heart at the same time, but he stayed out if it. The boy was being extremely rude to his mother to a point where she became teary and all.

I truly don't know which climate is better for raising kids, but that cabbie's observations was or is food for thought. I like what the person above me (etrange) said particularly in her last sentence

WoundedLamb:


Your last paragraph

I didn't mean spoilt in that sense though. I meant "posh".

Talking about respect, do you think a grown up Nigerian is more respectful to fellow humans than a grown up Canadian? I would say no (just my opinion). Africans only respect elder or bosses or guardians or anyone superior to them. And that's because respect in Africa is mostly out of fear. Asides from these people they fear, they couldn't care less about others. Whereas a Canadian employer respects everyone including the gateman. That's because respect to them isn't forced, it's generally believed that everyone deserved it. We have deviants but don't let Hollywood deceive you, kids here don't necessarily grow into miscreants.

WoundedLamb:


True this.

Let me exclude parents cause we all love our parents. An African who respects his elders at any age could still be said to fear what people would if he does otherwise. An African who respects his boss is choiceless. I appreciate respect if it's given when there's no implication of doing otherwise. How do Africans treat uber drivers, employees, the artisans, the poor ones, etc? How do Africans treate women? How do Africans address people when they're in charge? Brother, I do not think Africans respect fellow humans half as much people do out here.

As for societal cages, those who do drugs aren't pragmatic and it's not fair to use them as examples of people free of societal cages cause many of them are from Nigeria where these societal cages are strong. It can be argued that they do these to meet up with societal expectations of what people of their ages are expected to have or be doing at that stage. So it might still burn to down societal cages. Breaking away from societal cages doesn't mean you'd become wayward. It means you'd become fearless in pursuing your goals: study what you want, marry when you want and whom you want, etc.

Tetehjewels:


You have been brainwashed. The worst scammers are actually in the western world and not from Africa.

You should have stopped at inventiveness. You are the one joining them to stereotype your Africa because that is the part they have brainwashed you into seeing same way they brainwashed you into seeing all the niceties in the west and not the horrors of their system.

Christistruth00:



When I was in Boarding School some of my 12 year old Class mates travelled from Maiduguri , Bauchi , Kano and Kaduna to Ibadan unaccompanied.

Can you try that now without the Child going missing?

ekerintee:
I stay in Europe and will Tell you that , a child born in Nigeria is smarter than a child born abroad at the Initial Stage of Life .maybe along the Line ,its Reverse .Most africa Parent especially Nigerians are busy running after Money and dont teach their Kids value ,this Kids tend to follow the Western Kids ,badly influenced .This Kids can call Police for their Patents ,they are spoilt Brat.For busy Parent,the best place to train a child is africa .but Parent WHO have time ,abroad May be Beter .This Kids are taught Western culture in school,they are told they have right to call Police ,you cant shout on them when they are wrong ,they Report you to the authorities.unless a Parent WHO have time to train this Kids .They are bound to be Bad Kids,the Life abroad is hard for Most african Parent who are struggling to survive .You Guys May Not Unserstand how busy some people are working 12 hours or more in a day,going Back Home tired .so Tell me how this Kids wont be Bad .in Nigeria ,any Body can coreect or Help u train a child ,but abroad ,No one .so that is my View

etrange:


I live in Canada and almost everyday, I receive calls from fraudulent Indians and Africans. So please, I don't need anyone to tell me about the experience I'm living. There's a strong tie between poverty and crime, no sentiments.

Not stereotyping isn't denying statistics or personal experiences. Not stereotyping is just abstaining from profiling everyone based on thier origin.

Thanks.

RisenPhoenix1:


No. In western culture, many don't love their parents. They feel zero responsibility towards them once they turn 18 and sometimes run away from home well before that.

And Africans are not always choiceless about respect. An adult will naturally help a random elderly person carry his/her bags. The thing with respect though, is that it's usually given to elders and betters, true, and expected from the young and less well placed; where it is only reciprocated if it is given. In western culture, people are equally bound by litigation and rules to behave well in public, and not all whites are polite...far from it.

Yes, many Nigerians do drugs, as fo whites, but no Nigerian does it Infront of his parents or elders, out of respect. And it's not fear; after all what can an aged parent do to him? Cane him?

slachtoffers:


Again and again it has been proven that violence does the opposite in raising a child.

If a parents is not abusive and are firm with their kids I don't see the need for the child to call police.

That aside you said African kids are smarter than western children.

The world tech today are controlled by invention created by kids from the west- Facebook, WhatsApp, reddit etc can you tell us what African children within the same cohort has created for the world?

Fear and the way we raise kids in Africa kills creativity. I think raising a child should be engaging and they need to allow to explore their creative sides at a very young age.

Tetehjewels:


You receive calls because that is the level of tech they know about when it comes to fraud. The real fraudsters are deeply into high-tech fraud and they are in the west.

etrange:

I live in Canada and I think African parents don't need to send thier kids home. The parents are African enough for the kids. I appreciate your point nevertheless.

Klass99:


No way! I suspected you were male but my very biased mind thought, only a woman can make such an intelligent comment

BigDawsNet:
Yes, Nigeria is a good place if you are rich

We have couple of reserved area for the rich and wealthy in Lagos ,Abuja

This kids live a foreign life in Nigeria

They have access to everything you can have access to in abroad while inn nigeria
They are fresher than kids in North America

etrange:


I respect your POV. But I can only speak based on personal experiences.

etrange:


Hahaha! Wow!

I'm actually happy to know Nairaland women still have thier self esteem up there despite the way they are ridiculed onhere by thier male counterparts.

adexpa:
I don't think it is necessary to return a child back to Africa before getting the best out of them. We have well mannered guys raised in the West today, the major work lies with the parents; parents needs to be there to guide and groom them.....it takes a well mannered/trained/educated parents to raise a well mannered child, many parents do not have enough information/education to raise good child.
One can only bring him/her home occasionally to see how things are being done. Going through hardship is not necessary a ticket to a good child. Many great America leaders were raised there and they turned out great.

Tetehjewels:


Then next time you write always indicate that THIS IS YOUR PERSONAL OPINION and do not make sweeping comments because of us find this offensive when people use their personal experiences to stereotype everyone else.

Crime is high in the west same with drug abuse and gang life as well as all forms of sexual immorality but to you, you chose to slam Africa because of the low level frauds done here in the face of all the other vices you deliberately shut your eyes to which are happening in the west.

lefulefu:
People like Lawrence Anini,Hushpuppy and other groups grew up in africa and nigeria in particular as kids
The areaboys,weed smokers,agbero all grew up in africa
but look how they ended up
Body tatoos dont determine wether a person will be evil
what of kids who grew up as responsible adults in the west
what can u say about that?
Obama never grew in africa but he made something with his life
Responsible parenting is not an african thing
Any parent weda african or white or asian would want his or her child to walk the right part
but then we have irresponsible parents
they are in nigeria too

etrange:


I wasn't stereotyping, read my message again. I can't stereotype myself. I said "are known for". Which means the perception of the vast majority. That's not a lie and that's not stereotyping. Like I said, I wouldn't profile anyone based on where they come from cause we have good people and bad people everywhere. I made that bit known.

Tetehjewels:


You said NIGERIANS are known for. That is stereotyping