In an Instagram post on May 10, 2021, popular Nigerian blogger, Linda Ikeji gave her opinions on parenting while celebrating herself as a mother.
The mother of one said occasional spanking done once in a long while is okay but she does not believe in spanking children over every mistake they make. She believes in correcting them firmly but kindly and with love, especially children under 5.
Her post reads partly, “I don’t believe in spanking children over every mistake they make in the bid to correct them. The occasional spanking, every once in a long while, is okay…(I’ve definitely done that with Jayce) but I believe when they make a mistake or misbehave, correcting them firmly but kindly, and with love is better than hitting them, yelling at them, shaking them or giving them some kind of physical punishment. Especially when they are under 5.”
With her child, Jayce, she shows him a lot of love and kindness and says this makes him pass it forward.
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According to the blogger, she believes listening to children, acknowledging their feelings, recognizing their positive behaviors and rewarding them for that behavior will shape them into great individuals.
“I feel like constantly spanking, yelling, shaming, or using harsh words on our children could lead to behavior problems. That method, to me, is ineffective, does more harm than good, and kind of teaches them it’s okay to cause someone else pains if they don’t get their way or feel frustrated,” she said.
Linda Ikeji is a writer, blogger, entrepreneur and a former model.