What African Parents Are Like

Growing up in a middle -class neighborhood  with my parents was frustrating. All that pressure, and you wish for many things to leave as soon you go to the University.
 You will only enjoy your silence, when they are away at work.  I remember how we were made to read every afternoons rather than play. You don't want to fail that English or Math test,  or be reminded of your failure the whole session, when you eat, sleep, poop or do anything. They think it was making us step up of our comfort zones, but sometimes it feels like being pressured to do things you really don't have drive for. They made you feel squashed and less human.


 African parents, would try to rule over your career lives. They will choose for you careers they find suitable for you to study in school. They want you to be selected to read prestigious courses, they don't think,bring a comedian, footballer, photographer were suitable careers one should desire to become. I wanted to become so many things, I am that versatile.  But you keep hearing my mom say, why don't you become a nurse?

 'I love you ' for us, was what boys told girls they liked or maybe wanted to fuck. You can never hear them say 'I love you '. It was like a disgraced word meant only for mom and dad, ironically you can never hear them say it to each other . I'm not particularly surprised about the rates of teen pregnancy in Africa now.

What if African parents, were more understanding and less pressuring us children to become  who they are not, but to stay true to ourselves . It should be about what  works for your kids, they are not super boys or girls. Why do we have to shame them for doing badly in Math, is failure not normal. We should teach them how to love failure and success equally.
If their souls desires to be a  cook or anything else that does match the status quo in the society, why can't they be? If they are happy then so be it. Our desires for our children should for them to attain happiness nothing less than that.

"I love you " won't hurt everyday as you scrub their backs in the bath tub, or stuck in bed, kiss them goodbyes. They would grow up to believe love is  what  you can genuinely give to anyone not because he is male or she is female. Our girls will find their confidence within, they will do things because a boy says he loves her. Same goes for our boys.