Should the firstborn of a family be male of female? by @yuceetoria// All4one

Introduction

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Girl or boy, all gender matter. Train up a child in the way he should go; when he is old, he will never depart from them. It is the values, norms, morals, etiquette, and belief you teach your child that will guide them.

What are the advantages or disadvantages of having a female child?

ADVANTAGES

• Becomes her mother’s friend.
• Helps her mother out with the house chores.
• Has the patience to deal with her siblings.
• Is usually mature in handling difficult situations.
• Takes care of the family in their old age.

DISADVANTAGES

• Sometimes the girl child is not taken seriously especially if it is a gathering of males. Patriarchy is a strong defect in our societies.
• In Igboland, a girl child does not inherit anything, unless specific measures are taken by their parents when alive.
• The girl child does not remain in her father’s house forever. Some get married into a different country, tribe, and continent. After marriage, they forget everything about their family.

Introduce your family firstborn to us

My elder sister is Chinenye Uche nee’ Odinma. She is bubbly, energetic, and very industrious. She is one who is never deterred by a difficult situation. Always up and doing. That is not to say we’ve not had our falling out, there is no family without facing little problems but we’ve learned to deal with them.

She married into the Abiriba tribe in Abia State, with 4 kids (3 girls and a boy). During the day, she works at the Umuahia High Court beside Ibeku Secondary school in Umuahia, on the weekends, she makes snacks and homemade foods (chin-chin, chips, tom brown quaker oats, and soybeans) that she distributes to her clients.
Her qualities include loyalty, being strong-willed, determined.

How has she helped the family?

Currently, my parents live alone aside from my younger cousin who came to stay with them in the last couple of years. Fortunately, my elder sister lives in the same city they do, so it is easy for her to take care of them. She visits them often to check on their wellbeing, brings them some foodstuff, and attends to some of their needs. In the same way, they have access to their grandkids in Umuahia.

how should parents prepare firstborn children ahead of the responsibilities they will face in the family?

One thing that parents should know is that their children are not assistant parents. As a child, they should allow their children to experience what childhood feels like and not thrust upon them responsibilities immediately after younger ones come.
Next children lead by example, parents should gradually with actions teach their kids what they are supposed to do, not to fully take on the role of the parents but to be a helper where their younger ones are.
Parents should make the firstborn understand that they are meant to take care of their younger ones.