A few advantages of delaying age of access to smartphones.
1. Eye contact. Your kids will learn to look people in the eye during conversations.
2. Situational Awareness. Smartphones make kids zone out, impervious to danger and indifferent to interesting happenings around them.

https://twitter.com/yabaleftonline/status/1809887300936949866

3. Delayed gratification: You already know this one. They will apply this strength to other areas of life.
4. Improved grades: The ability to read longer texts, focus in school and go to bed early is linked strongly to lower smartphone use.
5. Weight control: More activity

My 13 year old asked me why Christians are not the top 3 richest men/women in the world. He's passionate about Forbes List and so on, often checking who has moved up or down each week. And his ambition is to own a tech solutions company so I knew he was wondering if Christianity Is a minus. The next question was why do pastors say you need to be connected to God for financial increase when Christians are not among the richest in the world?

Here's what I told him.
Many people who are "rich" have only money. To become rich, all you have to do is to engage

Years ago, one of my children in primary 1 came home rejoicing. He scored 100% in a particular test. He proudly announced that he had failed only one question so the subject teacher called him aside privately, told him the correct answer and upgraded his score.
I was livid! I immediately told him he didn't score 100% and that what matters to me is whether he can use the knowledge from the subject later in life.
After that I called the school and the teacher was called to order. Fortunately, it was a new hire who was let go of months later

The power of observation.
When I was growing up, my father would never stop talking about how important it is to notice what is going on around you and take charge.
He told us a story his lecturer told him when he was an undergraduate. I hope it is fiction btw
#parenting101 It was a class of science students. The lecturer told them that b4 the glucometer was invented the only way to assess glucose in urine was by licking some of it. He asked one of them to pee in a cup. Then he dipped a finger in and licked it. The cup was passed round and everyone

Children younger than 16 do not need smartphones or access to social media in my humble opinion.
Get them laptops for school work & research.
Set up Google family link, Net Nanny or other protective soft ware.
Devices must be used in full view of everyone.
Check sites visited

https://twitter.com/MetaJane5/status/1666841498837716993

Babies as young as 5 are being exposed to online nudity.
I'm sure you want your child/ward not to lag behind other kids who have iphones. Banish the thought!
You are the one who is nervous about doing the right thing. You can deal with your need to keep up with the joneses

Diary of a wimpy kid.
After you have taught your child to always use their magic words, to be kind and courteous and to treat adults with respect, there's a problem.
The majority of children today are being taught the opposite. They see their parents bully the drivers & nannies. They see their parents rush to school to assault teachers who dare to call out their kid's bad behaviour.
They see parents use money to stop nonsense.
In Nigeria, a big man's dog is a big dog no matter if it's actually a chihuahua.
So for being well behaved, your child

Every family needs a mission statement.
All the children should know it.
It should guide parenting decisions and frame conversations about identity.

One of the things my family aims for is to raise independent adults who are self-disciplined, brilliant and entrepreneurial. To achieve this, I cannot do everything for my kids no matter how much I want to. The only way to develop self-discipline is to give children the opportunity to decide to do the right thing even when no one is watching.
I assign chores, make the older ones review homework

If you just got married or you have kids < 3 yrs I will share a good strategy you can use to make them passionate about the bible.
This is the age when kids are exposed to video games, cartoons, you tube sing alongs in order for parents to buy time for chores and work or Biz. You can use this period to ignite in them an appetite for wholesome entertainment.
1. During car rides, play DVDs like Veggie tales, Donut man e.t.c.
2. Tell them one bible story every day. Keep it short and simple and use lots of dramatisation.
3. After Sunday school

As a young girl me too I was chorusing "I will not marry a broke man!"
Each time we got dressed to go out my mom would shout "Ndi ji jeep biawa!" i.e men who drive SUVs should besiege my daughters.

When I met my husband he was a student who I prob had more pocket money than. Here are the qualities of a rich man who doesn't have the money in the bank yet🤪🤪🤪
1. They are not intimidated by money. If he freaks out about certain sums of money, he's not ready.
2. They put the work in. They don't just talk a good game, they will take the most menial job

I had been married about 1 year when we moved to Lagos. I was yet to get a new job and I had a baby so I was spending quite a bit of time at home.
One day, I remembered that "they" said you should get dressed up when your husband is coming home so that they will not be tempted By the "Strange Woman"
I put on a nice outfit, did my hair and wore perfume.
When Hubs came in, I went to the door and posed.
Him: Are you going somewhere?
Me: No
Him: Sure?
Me: Yep
Him: So why???
Me: I just wanted to...
Him:

Hearing "I love you" is not the same thing as feeling loved.
When you feel loved, the words need not be spoken before the goosebumps show up.
I had been a Christian for years and I said God loved me but I didn't feel it. I felt I was always missing the mark.
I couldn't breathe. I had to confess my sins every 5 minutes in case rapture occurs.
I had to search my thoughts in case something funny was hiding there.
No matter how much I cleaned up, I never felt clean enough.
And then I found out that I had been taking soap to the soap factory

Men are scum???

Dear Sis-in-Christ

Two months ago, I woke up with serious abdominal pains. I found out I had an ectopic pregnancy. 1st Gynae said, let's try to handle this medically. I was admitted and given medication. By Day 3, it was obvious it wasn't working. Hubby says, it's time to move. So we go to a new Gynae. In 2 hours, I am being prepped for surgery.
Before we stepped out of our car, he and I held hands and declared I was going to walk out of the hospital healed. As I am wheeled into the theatre, I know he is out there

Master class with a pastor. He mentions how he went with a team to a slum in Lagos that had been plagued by a water-borne disease because they did not have potable water. They had offered to dig a borehole for them and were joyously permitted.
The "youth" accosted them to demand A Bribe on the day of execution.
He poses the question to us
"What would you do? Pay the Bribe or Call off the intervention?"
The class was divided.
Some spirikokos said they would start to pray.
Others said they would negotiate. Pastor said the youth started getting

One day my kids declared mutiny against the Nanny.
She was an enforcer. Once I gave an instruction no amount of begging (on their part) swayed her. This hard babe made them sweep their rooms, wash their plates and clean up after themselves.
All because I mentioned it in passing I might not have meant it to be enforced that strictly 🙈🙈🙈
Who expects kids aged 3-9 to always do what they were asked to do?
But Aunty would bone face
"If you don't wash your plate I won't dish your meal!"

They reported her frequently but I bit my tongue and supported her.

It's my 10th wedding anniversary in a few days so I'll be doing a thread on marriage and the lessons I've learned so far. These are MY takes and do not in any impose on anyone. Take what works for you and leave the rest on my TL 😉

So when I was in 200L my friend gave me gist. Her: I went to my pastor to ask for prayers.
Me: Why?
Her: I've not been getting many toasters. I want them to be plenty. Ever since he laid hands on me, the no of men asking me out has increased.
Me: Wao!

Also me: Holy Spirit, should I meet her pastor or mine? She even had few,

Parenting and Discipline.
Nanny told me of our neighbour's daughter who appears to be in a relationship with another neighbour about her age.
All the kids usually play outside and I am able to see them from my window if I am home.
It is unclear to what extent they went All she knows is her parents have forbidden her from coming out to play with others.
I did notice she had been staying indoors but my kids said she got a haircut and was ashamed to be seen. I thought she had lice or ringworm or something.
Nanny has scattered my assumptions

Children and Phones.
I have 4 children aged 2-8. 2 years ago, we spent some time with relatives. I was shocked that almost every child grabbed my phone the minute I put it down and began to search for games.
My own children were like fishes out of water. They couldn't relate I eventually had to hide my phone for peace to reign but the minute I forgot it on the couch, someone would leap at it.
This was strange because in my house, phones are personal. If it rings, you bring it to the owner. That is the only reason a child should touch my phone