Nollywood actress Mercy Aigbe has sent a word of advice to African parents telling them to evolve and grow with the times.
Aigbe said this at her movie premiere on Sunday where she shared an experience involving her daughter Michelle Aigbe.
“As parents we need to have close discussion on so many issues with our children and we also need to pay attention to them,” she said.
Aigbe stated the importance of parents being emotionally intelligent and available for their children.
“A few years ago I sent my daughter to Canada for school and one day I was calling her and she wasn’t picking my calls. So, I called her friend and told her I couldn’t reach my daughter. Eventually when Michelle picked and I asked her why she wasn’t picking she said ‘Mum I’m traumatized’ and at the time I asked her ‘Which trauma, are you okay?’ and she said ‘Mum you hit me on the head with a bucket one day.’ At the time I thought she was going mad because she was abroad but I realized that I wasn’t thinking about how she felt,” Aigbe said.
She also advised parents to apologize when needed, stating that parents are usually too proud to apologize.
“We have a lot of damaged adults out there who have not properly healed from their childhood trauma. So, I’m very proud to be part of this project that highlights this. I think it’s time we start having these conversations, this is why we have narcissists all over the place. And as African parents, we’re honestly too proud to apologize. If I can apologize, other parents should too, this film is a call to action for African parents,” Aigbe said.
