SEC16W3: Raising boys and girls
Raising Boys and Girls
The issue of child rearing
Molding children into responsible and useful adults has worried a lot of people especially because different cultures have deffrent standards and expectations in the issue of child rearing and acceptable discipline. Some agree with copral punishment and others think it will traumatize the young ones.
When discipline is not the bone of contention, the issue may be gender related, should boys have more liberties, are boys to be included when taking care of chores in the home.
Should boys and girls be trained the same
Boys are very different from girls and both group have different needs. Following the culture and environment where this people are expected to grow and interact, the training will defer.
In Africa, we have very strong gender roles and any attempt to use the need for equality that is emphasized in the western world when training a girl child in Africa will create a misfit. A woman who can not function well in her environment.
The African environment has what it expects from men and a different expectation for women. Even now that we are trying to copy some things from the western world, plenty of basic standards still apply.
The African Standard
In the typical African setting, young girls are trained to work at home and young boys are trained to work outside the home. When chores are shared, the boy will have to sweep outside the house but the girl will sweep inside. All task they requires energy like splitting the firewood for cooking is the boys job. The girl will cook.
In the farm, the boy will clear the farm and burn it, dig the holes for planting yam. The girl will do the weeding. The man and boys will carry the harvest home.
Our society has different expectations
Training children for life and work in Europe when likely they will be spending their whole life here in Nigeria is not a good idea. Except we have plans to the the child out of Nigeria. In that case it would be good to train the child with equality in mind.
Difference in occupation
In AkwaIbom culture, there are occupations that are for both genders, but we have jobs that are for men like palm wine tapping, harvesting palm fruits, driving a commercial bus or taxi, mechanic or bricklayer. A woman can be a midwife.
There are only a few jobs for women because they are generally expected to work at home, care for their home, husband and children.
Domestically
Women are expected to submissive support their husbands as the head of the family. Boys are trained differently so they can interact with other men women are trained differently.
Conclusion
Should boys and girls be trained the same way? It depends on the culture and environment where this children are expected to grow in. Some culture demands equal rights and training of boys and girls but other cultures do not allow this.
Train your kids based on the requirements of their environment.
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Raising a child who can fit in society well will be a huge achievement for their parents but it is also important to remember that each child is unique. As parents, children should be given support and opportunities to develop their skills.
Hello my dear friend, i am happy to be here on your post. i really like and enjoy to reading your blog. Friend, we should not go back to the past when it comes to raising children, our parents gave us the education that led us to what we are today. But i wish you a good luck.
Regards to me
Today, Africans know enough to send their girls to school, provide them with enough education based on the slogan that if you educate a girl, you educate a nation.
So both boys and girls go to school, and this days we have more girls in school than boys. The difference in training in the area of formal education is in favour of the girl child.
In a typical secondary school, the ratio of boys to girls is 2:3 and in tertiary institution the ratio is 2:6.
The percentage of women with higher academic qualifications is more than men.
Boys are not trained the same as girls, even with the academic deffrences, the woman still have social expectations. Submition to the husband's headship is not making them inferior.
In many cultures, including African societies like Nigeria, gender roles and expectations heavily influence how boys and girls are raised. While some advocate for equal treatment, the reality is that cultural norms often dictate different responsibilities and opportunities based on gender. Understanding and respecting these cultural nuances is essential when considering how to raise boys and girls.
Thank you for expressing a clear understand of our local reality, boys are trained differently from girls. They are all sent to school, they are all given opportunities to become the best they can be. But boys are trained to assume responsibilities that are different from girls.
I will like to visit your blog and see you opinion on the issue.