Fostering Freedom of Speech: Encouraging African Parents to Listen to Their Children
In many African homes, the parent-child relationship is a hard nut to crack because children have their preferences between the father and mother causing limitations in conversation. Being raised in a home like mine where both my father and mother were strict teachers happened to be an adventurous moment of my life but I was glad I could overcome some fears. My parents' strict actions limited me from sharing some experiences I faced when they were absent. Sometimes, I understand they intended to protect me from the insolent world system as a way of being strict - in discipline, relationship, care, and affection. This rigid relationship caused me to be afraid of them even when I've done nothing wrong. As I grew up, the notion changed a little bit; I got to relate with my mom better as compared to before, but my dad a no-go area. As we speak, I'm kind of relating with both of them better than expected but I have limitations to what I share with them because of the impression I had about them in my childhood. Seeing this, I know it is similar in many African homes because we were raised to fear our elders instead of respecting them; this fear has affected the free speech of a child relating with his parents. I know how emotionally affected I was, and I know it applies to many who are in this same situation.
You may wonder what context I mean by free speech: it is not like the government-citizen notion, but the ability for a child to be expressive, and share all his thoughts, opinions, or feelings without any fear of the parents. I can remember the days I sneak out of the house to do the right thing all because of the fear I had for my parents. For every parent-child relationship, it is expected for the parents to create an atmosphere in which the child can feel comfortable to share what's bothering them; instead of being repulsive from the onset.
Commonly in many African homes, parents are repulsive and the kids only hesitate to speak up due to fear of being scolded, or punished. So, this article has come to enlighten African parents on the essence of understanding the importance of listening to their children at all times. First and foremost, it will demand being empathetic, understanding, and trying to view the opinion from your child's perspective. Listening is a special skill every parent should possess because it is more than just hearing the spoken words of your kid. The connection that emanates when you listen to a child, shows that you value their thoughts and feelings, which can boost their self-esteem and sense of worth.
Moreover, you can encourage free speech at home by doing less talking sometimes so that you hear what they have to offer. This means you need to create time for them; one of the prominent Africans said, “One of my regrets is that I wasn’t there for my kids when I needed to”; today, his children call him “Sir” instead of “daddy” because he acting like one. I know the economy is not favorable in Africa, we look for a way to cater to the family and forget to build a bond for the future.
Do you know? In a society where freedom of expression is often celebrated, children who grow up in households that prioritize open communication are better in relationships, and advocating for themselves because they had who could build their self-worth.
Finally, when African parents embrace these practices, they won’t be like my parents in their beginning stage, rather, they will create a nurturing environment where their children feel empowered to speak their minds and develop into confident individuals. Cultivating free speech at home not only strengthens family bonds but also prepares children to thrive in a world where their voices matter.
Here is a post for May Inleo Prompt
This article is written in InLeo
Inleo is a blockchain-based Web3 community that builds innovative applications on the Hive, BSC, ETH, and Polygon blockchains. Our flagship application: Inleo allows users and creators to engage and share content on the blockchain while earning cryptocurrency reward
Posted Using InLeo Alpha