Examination Malpractice? The much dreaded physics exams was only hours away. Kunle was restless. He doubted if he knew enough to excel. His mind started to race. He was beginning to pant at the thought flying through his mind. Just this one time. Otherwise, how else? He convinced himself. As the examination papers were served…
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“Good girl!” “You got 10/10! That’s my smart boy!” “I love your picture!’ “Good job” “You are awesome!” You’re the best! These comments sound positive but they’re simply external praise, external judgement. What ends up happening is the child being praised continues to perform the behaviour because it pleases the adult. I’m sure you’re quite…
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Hmmmmmm…. As the children’s day was wrapping up, I just found myself reminiscing about some of my interesting childhood memories. Talking of memories, I have loads of them to choose from both the good, the bad and the ugly and even the bizarre like I am about to share today hoping we all learn from…
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If you’re like most parents, you’d choose having fun with your children rather than those feelings of frustration and guilt that arise from sibling fights and rivalry. In as much as you may not totally be able to eliminate the fight, how about strategies to make your kids become more cooperative, self-sufficient, empowered and able…
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Holidays lives in our imaginations throughout the year because it nourishes our souls. The warmth….the fun…the sheer deliciousness. But mostly, the luxury of time, unbounded by school. Time to explore, to make new friends, to lie on your back and watch the clouds billow. The vivid aliveness and freedom of a child’s holiday can change…
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The school calls at 1pm to tell Mrs Junaid that her 10yr old son Adam, got into a fight with a boy named Lam at break time. At 3:30pm, Adam comes home. Mom starts the conversation: “How was your day?” “Good. You made me my favourite samosas for break time. Thank you, mom!” “Speaking about…
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I need advice on how to build confidence in my child. He often complains that he doesn’t have friends in school and feels like he doesn’t fit in You are not alone. A lot of parents feel huge concern over what they see as their child’s lack of self-confidence which comes in the way of…
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Despite the negative statistics, some parents still feel the need to showcase the talent of their child to the world through social media. Here are a few tips to stay safe: Monitoring Some parents have failed to monitor what their child does on social media. They allow him freedom without any orientation or monitoring. By…
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Mila and her twin, Emma are 2-year-olds who have become popular on social media for their “natural acting” talent. King Nahh is an 11-year-old who gives motivational speeches. He actually started at the age of 7. Now he is a popular figure – courtesy of social media. Back in Nigeria, there was the case of…
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As I scrolled fast past the long posts, I noticed the alluring comments that followed. Despite, I choose not to scroll back in the moment to the article that generated all the commotion. Shortly after, I kept on getting a particular post from almost all my personal peeps. Curiosity got the better of me-…
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A few days ago, amidst experts like Larry Lawal- with over 35years experience in treatment of mental disorders and emotional challenges in the public and private mental health institutions in the Houston area of Texas, and Dr. Afshana Haque- a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor (LMFT-S) with a specialization in Neurofeedback and an Assistant…
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Talent, Hardwork & the Holiday When I received this message a few weeks ago, I knew that the time would soon be ripe to share it in this column… and what better time than now that our children are in the holiday mode? Reflect, Retrack, Respond. I will tell you a story about Talent, Hardwork…
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I have been running series of interviews lately for a home support staff. With my accumulating work load and schedule and with children in a boarding school, I needed some sort of assistance. My agent finally called me last week Friday for a seemingly qualified candidate. As we chatted, I asked a few questions…
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“Good girl!” “You got 10/10! That’s my smart boy!” “I love your picture!’ “Good job” “You are awesome!” You’re the best! These comments sound positive but they’re simply external praise, external judgement. What ends up happening is the child being praised continues to perform the behaviour because it pleases the adult. I’m sure you’re quite…
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