MONSTROUS BOSSES WITH ‘GOLDEN’ KIDS

By Nkiru Ogbuli

I had been experiencing a sort of writer’s block if I may call it that. I’d just been thinking and could not just arrive on what to write until Friday evening. On the Finewiners Network WhatsApp group, we have developed an activity we call the ‘Hot Seat’. So, it was the turn of Finewiners Network  CEO Amb. Emem Everest to be on the Hot Seat. There was a question about tips on parenting and she said something in the lines of, ‘Children should be allowed to do chores…’

 I had been wanting to write on this subject matter but I don’t think I can exhaust everything I want to write here.  It is just laughable when you see parents who do not allow their children to do anything around the house. The children have the house helps at their beck and call. They think it is a flex that the children don’t do anything at home. Your child doesn’t do chores yet can not make their papers without ‘miracle centers’. I laugh in flex!

 The maltreatment of  house helps is another topic entirely. You go to some households, you can already tell who the house helps are. They look visibly unkempt. If it stopped at that, it would have been better. Over the weekend, yet another news broke of how a young woman burnt her house help to the point where she could not walk. Her private parts! What manner of wickedness is that? A woman! Who knows the pain of child bearing? Yet you shower your own children with love and expect that all will be well with you and yours?

I am curious as to how people sleep well at night knowing that they mistreat their domestic staff when the lives of their children and even theirs are in the hands of the helps literally. You want me to tell you how? Or is it the driver that can swerve that car, jump into the bushes and the rest will be rest in peace? It is not too late to make amends!

 I see people who when it’s time to pay their domestic staff  come up with one strategy or the other in order not to pay. In, fact some do it in such a way that every other month they are changing their helps because they do not want to pay them. It is either he or she has stolen something or has misused or lost something and it’s time to go and then they replace.  I just laughed at them! You think people were put on this Earth for you to play dumb games with? Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

You also see people who have served in a particular household for years with no plans from the homeowners to set up such individuals. They were put on this Earth to serve you forever abi? You might argue that that was not part of the agreement and that they get paid maybe but, wouldn’t it be rewarding to you that you set up someone for life?

I tutored a lady privately on make-up. She called her house help to come join in. The girl also learns shoe making, not part of the agreement as she is being paid monthly but the lady said there was no need for her to be at home all through during the day doing nothing. Others would have manufactured chores to add to keep the girl busy throughout the day. And about the make-up, with good practice she would become a pro and also earn money from it! There’s no way she can forget her madam.

There are a lot children can learn from doing household chores. Children learn about what they need to do to care for themselves, a home and a family. Chores translate to skills they can use in their adult lives, like preparing meals, cleaning, organising and gardening to mention but a few. When children are involved in chores, it becomes an experience of relationship skills like communicating clearly, negotiating, cooperating and working as a team. The children begin to feel competent and responsible. Even if they don’t enjoy the chore, like me when I was younger, they feel a sense of satisfaction at an accomplished task.

People who still believe boys don’t need to do chores, you are doing a great disservice to the coming generations. Stop it! Change your ways if you are one of such people who work other people’s children to death and keep your own ‘golden’ children. But if you still feel that your children won’t pick up after themselves, fine, at least don’t cause bodily harm to anybody’s child because they are less fortunate than you are.

I hope that woman who burnt her house help is caught and made to face the full wrath of the law. The news is that she is nowhere to be found. There’s no hiding place for such monsters. She will be caught in due time.

Do have a nice week and be kind to people around you.