Nigerian parents are interesting sets of people. Sometimes they tell ‘lies’ to their children and wards to get what they want. They can be likened to a man wooing a lady whom he wants to impress and do his biddings. Now there are some lies we grew up believing and only if you are from a Nigerian home would you easily relate. However, this list is not totally true because we still have some parents who can defend these ‘lies’. They are:
1. Go and wear your slippers, I’ll wait for you
This marked the beginning of betrayal. One moment, the Nigerian parent seems close but after blinking the eyes they have disappeared to where they were going to. The trick was to make the child believe they were waiting to them along to where they were going to.
2. I don’t have a favourite child
This is debatable. Some parents claim they love their children equally but is this really possible with their different personalities and birth stories. Some people think it is the last borns, others feel the favourite child spot is reserved for first borns.
3. If boys touch you, you will get pregnant
This was a lie told to girls as soon as they hit puberty. This was their own way of curbing waywardness, sex education would not hurt though.
4. I always came first position in class
Nigerian parents that had ‘olodo’ (dullards) as children would always reiterate this statement to make the child wonder where he/she got the dull genes from. It was also a ploy to make the child/ward sit up in class.
5. I never did this to my parents
Nigerian mothers are major culprits. They would always talk about how their characters opened doors for them. They were the saints, while their children the unrepentant sinners.