Veteran Nollywood actress Patience Ozokwor, popularly known as Mama G, has encouraged parents to allow their children to struggle and go through the process of working for what they want, saying such experiences can help them become more responsible adults.
The actress made the remarks during an interview with Femi Bassey TV while reflecting on her own experiences and how she raised her children.
According to Ozokwor, allowing children to struggle does not mean deliberately making them suffer. Rather, she believes parents should give their children opportunities to experience challenges, work towards their goals and understand that success often requires effort.
“I’m not saying allow them to suffer. What I’m saying is allow them to struggle. Go through the process,” she said.
Mama G recalled some of the challenges she faced while building her acting career and supporting her family. She said she prepared and sold buns and chicken at movie locations and audition venues, using the proceeds to meet some of her needs, including transportation.
She also spoke about balancing work with raising her children and caring for her husband, who had diabetes and hypertension.
The actress recalled that three of her sons participated in construction work while they were university students. She said experiences like these helped them understand the importance of hard work and personal responsibility.
Ozokwor cautioned parents against providing everything for their children without allowing them to understand the effort required to build and maintain success.
She argued that children who learn to work through challenges are more likely to appreciate what they have and take responsibility for their own lives as they grow older.
The veteran actress said she was pleased with how her children had progressed, noting that they had learned to work towards their own success rather than depending entirely on what their parents had achieved.