The Iyalode

We all agree that children being sent to the world these days aren’t your regular kinda kids.

Almost daily, Anita does something that would either shock me or remind me so much of myself. Which makes it easy of course, when she attempts a ‘scam’ 🤣

It also helps with some fresh perspective on life’s matters.

From when she was in my womb, Anita was super playful 😂. She would respond to jabs and if I didn’t tap when she kicked, there was this feeling of sadness I knew wasn’t from me but from her.

She came to the world a handful, (she actually leaped right out into the hands of the midwife🤣) did some modeling Stunts at her naming ceremony (girl’s just legit got it🤧), and started saying random (but consistent) words at just about three days old. She said her first real words at around eight months.

And even though Anita showed so much academic potentials from age two, she suddenly kicked back (long story) at about 5 years.

Through harassments, beating, encouragement, we tried to get her back in shape and she would try; but once we all got busy with other things, she would return to her comfort zone.

Her grades have been like second to the last in her class but her brothers flourished (one always comes first while the other, third).

To avoid sending the wrong signal, we wouldn’t give any of the kids gifts for their performance. But then Tony popped the all important question : so, you wouldn’t give us anything for doing well? (It’s been going on for years anyways).

So there was a threat at the end of term (Dec 2022) that young madam should put in good efforts and pass well, otherwise the others would get gifts and she wouldn’t. (Having tested her severally, we know she knows the answers to all her questions but she just blanks out).

Well, aunty came 28th out of a class of 30 sha 🤧

There were suggestions to beat her (so that she knows she was wrong to not do well), but my instincts said no. So I drew her near and had a lengthy talk with her. Interestingly, she understood the concept of goal setting (story will come up later)

And she has been doing some amazing things

Bottom line being that a child doesn’t have to shine academically for him or her to be seen as brilliant.

I really can’t keep up with the interesting things Anita does on a daily (both good and bad 🥺). But I hope to document as much as possible. Hopefully one day (if blogging doesn’t go extinct by the time she is grown 😜), she will read about her life and have as much joy as she has given us ❤️