Don't use your kids as your retirement plan.

Resist the urge to do it. I understand that tendency as an African parent to bring up your kids and invest everything you have into them, hoping that when you all get older, they'll reciprocate the effort.

I'm not saying it's completely wrong, I'm not saying it is right either.

I'll explain...

One of my favorite songs from Bella Schmurda is Vision 2020. I love the way he rode the beats on that song.

But here's a snippet of the lyrics from that song...

Mama call me, she said Chinedu is balling

What are you doing son? You are dulling

Four years in LASU is really nothing

Better get that money son, we are starving

You see these four lines, coming from a mother, can make any youth go all out to dip their fingers into anything for money.

Imagine a mother oppressing her child mentally like that? Comparing him with Chinedu. So, because he's not throwing money around, he hasn't started living yet?

Four years in LASU is really nothing... Go and get the money anyhow you can. We are starving.

Omo... E choke. This kind of pressure has pushed a lot of daughters into refurbished prostitution in the name of whocup.

Now... The sons are cutting up their whocup girlfriends like suya and trying out their hands at black magic.

No doubt, home training is very important, and part of that home training is helping your child build that self confidence and self esteem.

That understanding that no matter as e bad reach, they shouldn't compare themselves with the Chinedus around them.

That understanding, that they themselves have what it takes to acquire that wealth and it will only require their patience.

But home training isn't enough. Work hard to ensure that your kids have the leverage you never had.

I understand that not everyone will be stupendously wealthy, but I want my kids to to come from a home that can afford the basic things rich kids have.

I don't think I want my daughters to grow up and start following men up and down to buy them coldstone and iphone.

Or just for them to enjoy AC inside car.

I don't want them to be oppressed seeing their friends chop life on Instagram .

Godforbid!

I don't think I want my sons to be put through so much stress trying to build everything from scratch without support from anywhere.

In everything... You're not the only one that is struggling. We all are struggling in this country. Stay content. You're not the only one that needs money, we all want the good life, don't be stupid.

So what can we all do?

The message remains the same, learn productive and well paying skills.

The next generation of illiterates won't be people who didn't go to school, but people who can't learn, unlearn and relearn.

Get skilled up, I don't care if you're in school or not. Skill up.

If you're still spending time chasing cruise on social media, and jumping from one IG live to the other, trying to make yourself look busy...

well... I wonder what your kids will do.

Don't use your kids as your retirement plan, particularly when they are still young. The kick back effect could be negative.

Try very hard to avoid a situation where your first child would be forced to grow up so fast and delve into the labour market (legal or illegal) just to raise cash to support the family.

Just try very hard.

Stay away from pressure people, or learn to control it.

Stay away from these clubs with hype men wey get uncontrollable mouth. They should do their jobs o, but stay away from them.

My own contribution. ✌️

Copied from Ebube Maduaike on Facebook.

Quite an insightful read. You've said it all. Ama still kip grinding for momma tho. I owe her a R.R wraith

God bless u bro for that bella sshmurda lines, i hate that line like wetin.

In my mind i was like...what was the mother doing in her prime that she could not make money, obviously she was hoeing around(sorry to say)

I hate ut wen parent say those ritual indicting words.

E easy na hin those parent no build Mansion in their prime??

"I want to make mama proud", "I want to make mama proud" na so youths take dey enter India with drugs, others don dey trade human parts for money.

The same mama that did not make them proud enough to leave some inheritance for them when exchange rate was good, today's youths are using their mama as excuse for crime.

In a sane environment, Bella Schmurda mama suppose dey jail.

Also, if the urge to make your mama proud is the reason you defraud people, you and your mama suppose dey Suleja or Ikoyi prisons.

OlawaleBammie:


God bless u bro for that bella sshmurda lines, i hate that line like wetin.

In my mind i was like...what was the mother doing in her prime that she could not make money, obviously she was hoeing around(sorry to say)

I hate ut wen parent say those ritual indicting words.

E easy na hin those parent no build Mansion in their prime??

Abi na.. may God help us.. this life wey i dey, i no wan bring any kid into this world to suffer. Na wetin dey make me dey work extra hard be that.. my kids shouldn't owe me anything for bringing them into this world. Na me dey owe them many things so I've got to be established before contemplating on any fućking marriage plan. My kids mustn't suffer.

It is so funny how some parents would allow their children buy expensive stuff without them investigating the source of their money

As a child, you should also strive to work hard so you can have a legitimate way of making money to take care of your parents at old age
Do not allow the society to label you as irresponsible

Eventually if the child(ren) they invested on doesn't have something tangible to offer for the parents ? Parents and parents to be should take heed to this advise....

Na u dey owe ur pikin...


No b ur pikin dey owe u....

To make Mama proud don hard gan laik diz..

Mama ain't stressing and I'm still going hardd P

K

As I see am is that let them buy all they want in the world but we the legit hustlers we will work hard and get those riches na there rest of mind dey pass..

A guy in his Early 20s, who lives just a stone-throw from my doormouth here in Awka fought his father because his father compared him with one notorious yahoo boy in the area.

His father was like "look at ragzzy( not the Yahoo boy's real name), he is super rich, he has exotic cars and houses, all you do everyday is stay here and eat my food and keep roaming round the city"

The boy on his own part was like "Yes, I'm as poor as church rat, the poverty I inherited from you as a result of your laziness and roaming around the city when your mates like Peter Obi, Ifeanyi Uba, Arthur Eze, Dangote, Otedola were busy building foundation for their unborn children"

The angered father couldn't hold himself and angrily rushed towards his son which resulted to serious exchange of blows between the father and his son.

Olam09:
Don't use your kids as your retirement plan.

The kids over here hum

Once they are of age, they simply pack out of the house sometimes without even looking back.

Very sound advise..

Things are getting harder by the day..

Our generation has suffered most... Train yourself, care for siblings and your parents

You are right.

Parents too need education.

Your kids aren't toys.

You can use as you feel.

They are humans with brains and free will

U

Truth

Most parents are even worst

Some parents are fools. Remember that fools also grow old. Their foolishness makes them constantly exhibit poor judgment.
Some fools push their daughters into following men for money, others push their sons into crime.
The greatest fools of all are those parents who push their daughters into marrying rich people irrespective of the source of wealth simply because of the hefty bride price they will collect.
E.g Fani Kayode's wife.

Okay

Children don't solely rely on your parents

True talk

Personal opinion

Some parents are enablers of the rot we experience today.

I wish my Mother sees this thread

So I can be vindicated

This is an impressive epistle,well done...bad parenting,lack of contentment,peer pressure has done a lot of damage to our society,and this ritual killings is signs of end time....parent should have children they can cater for...may God help us

Abi

Prospher:
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