The unspoken Do’s and Dont’s in Nigerian homes!
No one can read the atmosphere in the room like a Nigerian child. This stellar ability was, of course, not formed in a day. Every Nigerian, home and abroad, can boast of having learnt social cues under the roofs of their Nigerian parents, mostly through eye signals and cane.
We can all think of a dozen and one rules in Nigerian homes, however in this article we will look at 7 upspoken rules–the ones that are rarely spoken about but which no one dares to break.
How many of these rules can you relate to?
1. Excuse Yourself From The Room When A Visitor Arrives
What business does a child have when elders are talking? đđ»ââïž One you’ve bought the customary malt drink for the visitor, you are to disappear. Failure to do this would end in a good shooting when the visitor leaves.
And if you dared Being nosy in their discussion would however end up with you in a messy situation.Â
2. Do Not (Openly) Take More Than One Meat When You Serve YourselfÂ
We canât say if it was the economy of that time or a constant reminder that we, the children, should get a job. All we know is that, as a child, when you are asked to serve yourself, the maximum piece of meat you can take is one.
However, a winning trick is place the meat you want to steal under the food đ. Smart work pays.
3. Never Accept Gifts Or Eat Outside Without Permission
“Collect it na”. Never ever collect gifts or food in the presence of your parents even if they tell you to. It’s a trap! They are only saying that so the giver won’t take offence.
And if you mistakenly collect it well, how sore are your ears and bum bum? đÂ
4. Always Be Up And Doing
It is against every fiber of a proper Nigerian parent that you are not active. It doesnât matter that you have cleaned the dishes, cooked for the house and fed the dog.
Whenever your parents are in the vicinity, let your hands be doing something – or are you the devil’s workshop?
5. Never Give An Elder Something With The Left Hand
This seems to be the case for every African home, not only in Nigeria. Giving elders anything with your left hand even if you are literally left-handed is considered rude.
6. Disappear From The Sitting Room By 9PM
Oh the days of NTA news! Who are you to loiter in the living room when your parents want to watch the News at Nine? Even if they aren’t, watching TV that late would result in scolding. And if you are an olodo, they will say it’s because you are always watching TV.
7. No Cat Pets
In a Nigerian home? Owning a cat signifies that you are a witch and the one behind every tenant’s misfortune. Even going as far as saying you want one as a pet might earn you a ride to the pastor or imam’s house.
#TraditionalValues is a segment documenting the beauty of indigenous culture. This edition features seven unspoken rules in Nigerian households.
