In Africa most people believe in beating a child or children is the perfect way of correcting or changing a child positively especially in Nigeria. I have seen the way some persons hit or discipline some children, and the way some parents hit and discipline their kids all in the name of they won't repeat it next time when you beat them...you don't correct a child by beating or maltreating them, kids should be corrected with love.
As a child I was constantly been maltreated by my aunties. I stayed with my dad's younger sis in order to help her to babysit her baby, anytime I did wrong she whipped me with 5 or 6 long canes giving me marks on my body. There was a day I mistakenly broke her baby's flask this auntie of mine whipped me with different fresh long canes, it all breaks piece on my body...she beat me so hard in her shop publicly I cried and shouted for help but no one helped me because they were scared of her. She's really a tough being no one dares to challenge her she's known by many around that street. After whipping me she told me to kneel down in the rain exactly at the center of the zinc where those drops of water falls on top of me and it was raining heavily that day people were passing by and looking at me shivering in the rain while some begged her to allow me in but she bluntly refuse while the other auntie of mine treated me like a maid forgetting that am her niece. I was pained by staying with does two aunties of mine, I cried privately most at times and I was yearning to return to my family.
I was also bullied by my friends, they laughed and make mockery of me in every given opportunity I felt so inferior, unvalued and unimportant, I lost my self confidence and self esteem.
There was a day I went to my hair stylist to make my hair while the woman was weaving my hair, her son of 7years was playing with a stick and mistakenly he injured himself with the stick he cried and there was this neighbor of hers who visited them hit the stylist son so hard on his head, body and forcefully draged him on the floor and the visitor requested for a cane by someone in order to continue whipping the kid, I couldn't hold back my silence I told her to stop hitting him and she said to me the boy won't stop crying. Instead of her to pet the baby and say sorry to the boy but she did the opposite by hitting him for just crying, that's inhumane to me. I called the little boy gave him money to buy biscuits. But the annoying part of it is that in all this the mother was there smiling while they mistreat her son, that was bad.
The next day the mother added her own beating that the boy was crying too much unknowingly to her that the boy was sick but they kept hitting him when she finally find out that the boy was sick it was already too late the next day the son daead she wept bitter and regretted why she hit him like that. Few days I returned there to make my hair and I asked her of her son she said to me he is died I was shocked. She explain everything to me and I caution her not to allow anyone hit her child that way, though I asked her why she allowed her neighbor to hit her son that way, the woman said she was mute because she is bothered of what people will say, when you tried to stop them from beating your child. I advised her not to allow such thing, people will always talk no matter what and they can't be please. So do what's right and don't be concerned of what people will say... she agreed and thanked me.
With what I went through and my experience I promise myself never to tolerate such act of maltreatment and bullying and no matter what I will not give any of my child to stay with someone. Most important don't involve your children with any negative issues relating to your spouse. I will love, care, cherish and discipline them with love. What parents don't know is that those frequent beating makes them more stubborn and disobedient.
Treat every child with love, care and attention and if there is need to discipline them, do it little not overboard or excessively which may cause harm or emotional problems. Children shouldn't be scared of their parents but Friends. it will enable them to confide in their parents when their soul is troubled, beating only makes them scared, depressed and away from you which is very bad and lastly encourage them when they are discourage.
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