Nigerian comedian and actor, Bovi Ugboma has revealed that he decided not to hit his son, even though the boy broke his television three times, because he does not believe that physical punishment is the right way to correct a child.
Speaking on The Honest Bunch podcast broadcast on Monday, Bovi shared his experiences as a parent and explained how he handled situations where his son expressed anger by breaking household items, including the family television.
He stressed the importance of patience and understanding in raising children, urging parents to avoid resorting to corporal punishment.
He said: “I don't advocate hitting children. You should leave the children alone. My son breaks the television for fun. If he gets upset, he throws things and breaks them. He reached an age and I saw the remorse. Thank God for the ability; If I couldn't afford another TV, then the approach would have been different. That's why I tell people, most of the time when we hit children, check: are they really trying to correct them or are they frustrated?
Bovi revealed that the third television his son broke was the incident he shared publicly in 2021.
The comedian also spoke out against bullying and criticized the practice of giving older students authority over their younger peers, a system he believes encourages abuse and unhealthy power dynamics.
“No child should be given authority over another child in the name of 'senior'. “They are children,” he said.
Bovi questioned the logic of teenagers punishing their peers and highlighted the flaws of such a system.
“When you follow our educational scheme, a 16-year-old is in SS3. What does a 16-year-old know about authority? It's wrong. It is creating a system of abuse and hierarchy. It really has to stop. A teenager is punishing a teenager. Do you force people to respect? Can anyone sit with confidence and watch a 16 year old spank his son because he did something wrong? Will you leave him because he is the oldest?
He linked this issue to the broader culture of respect through fear, arguing that it originates in high schools.
“The white man left us and created a system for us to colonize. So everyone is waiting to reach that peak to show themselves to everyone. That's why someone can say to a neighbor: 'Do you know who I am?' It starts in high school with a glorified torture in which one student beats another student.”
On parenting, Bovi highlighted the importance of recognizing the uniqueness of each child and avoiding a uniform approach to their upbringing.
He said: “You can't raise four children the same way. That's why you see some kids say, “I love my dad,” and the brother says, “I hate my dad.” It is because the father used the same model for all of them.”
READ ALSO FROM THE NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
Bovi shares the secret to a successful marriage