Never Underestimate the Words of a Child

By Olaitan Oye-Adeitan

Four-year-old pretty Sandra (Pseudo name), ran out of her bedroom where she and the housemaid were playing, to her mum in the kitchen, shouting “Lion Lion, Lion”! 

Her mother couldn’t comprehend what she meant.

She told her mother, there was a lion in the room but her mum asked her to go back to her room.

After a while, the little girl returned with the same expression.

Her mother followed her and asked the housemaid what the ‘lion’ fear was all about.

The housemaid told her it probably was from a story she was telling Sandra.

This time around, the little girl couldn’t contain her fear again as she rushed out to her mum who was already having her dinner and, shouting “Lion is the room”.

The maid also came out when Sandra’s mother called her.

Unknown to the mother, it was the maid who was the one changing into a mysterious animal to scare the girl.

Sandra, insisted the maid be sent packing from their house but her mother took it with levity. 

The day came when the reality dawned on Sandra’s mother.

She just returned from work and met her daughter whom she left with the maid hale and hearty, lying down critically ill and having a very high temperature.

The maid in her usual way had been changing to a mysterious animal, terrorizing the little girl with enchantments.

Unfortunately, while the mother was about to take her to the hospital, Sandra gave up the ghost.

For the maid, it was mission accomplished.

Her next target was the mother, but the saving grace was the family’s Pastor who just came in and discerned the housemaid was not ordinary.

But, by the power of The Holy Spirit, she was exposed and confessed she was on a vengeance mission to the family.

Though she was cast out, the evil deed had already been committed.

Sandra’s mother brought to memory, another celebrated case of a little boy in one of Nigeria’s private secondary schools some years ago.

The boy had told her mother, that he did not want to resume to his school after the holidays.

He kept on expressing his displeasure but his mother waved his complaints away, on the grounds that she had paid in that school and the school was good.

She thought all was well with her son, believing it was just one of children’s antics when all was not.

The day she realized the gravity of her son’s complaint, she was greeted with the news of her son’s demise.

Her son had been bullied by some terrible mates and eventually succumbed to death in the hands of the said bullies.

Had the mothers in these two cases considered their children’s complaints, the havoc wrecked would have been averted.

It is very unfortunate that many parents in this present age, still relate with children as though they don’t see beyond the chocolates, pies, noodles and toys before them.

Like, some would say in Yoruba language,” Ki l’omode mo?“,  meaning,” What does a child know?”.

If we would not deceive ourselves, a child knows a lot.

The advancement in technology, peer and environmental influence has increased the level of a child’s exposure compared to the past.

While they cannot compare their experiences to your years of experience as a mother or father, yet, there are things these children encounter or know that you may not be aware off if you don’t pay keen attention.

A child always appreciates anyone who listens.

That is why it’s so easy for them to flow with their peers or certain people you observe they are close to.

But why can’t you be that mother, father, guardian or teacher who gives room for a child to pour his mind?

However, it is one thing for you to listen, it is another to treat what your child tells you with the uttermost seriousness.

As little as “mum, come and see something”, could be a saving grace.

Like a clinical psychologist, at the University of Indonesia, Melvi Rosilawati observes that by listening to children, it will be easy to understand the child’s point of view and their feelings, such as their joys, fears, and worries.

Similarly, a teacher and mother, Christie Burnett says, “Listening to a child provides insight into their emotional state, helps them to feel understood and strengthens the parent-child bond”.

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