My name is
Yinka Johnson, Fiyin’s Mummy. I work for a bank now, but previously worked as a
Management Consultant and a Chemical Engineer. I am proof that job mobility
across various sectors is possible. I have enjoyed most of the work that I have
done in each sector that I have worked in.
Being a Mum
is the best job ever! it has brought me more joy than I can measure, but is
also a huge responsibility as I ponder on the question “How do I bring up this
little man to be the best person that he possibly can be, (so help me, God)”. I
want to share a few of the lessons I have learnt and some of my beliefs.
I believe
that each child should be given enough room to be himself or herself, so that
his personality, character and gifts can emerge. I think this helps the child
to flourish, and to be happy.
Time spent
with children is treasured. Though it can be very difficult to make time, it is
important to do things together, whether its playing basketball or football, or
playing together on the floor, or reading.
In the
modern world, it is difficult, but necessary to limit screen time. Television,
phones, and other gadgets are ubiquitous but too much screen time is not good,
so we are trying to limit time spent on these gadgets.
Fresh food,
fruits and vegetables are essential. I limit processed foods, high salt foods
etc. Fresh carrots are really nice and compete with biscuits quite favourably,
most of the time. Sweets are allowed, but certainly not every day.
I think our
children should speak our native language and understand the best of our
culture. I succeeded in making Yoruba my son’s first language, but as he grows,
the body language from him is that speaking Yoruba is not cool, so he avoids
speaking it. I am struggling with that, and I devise different techniques to
make him speak it. It is difficult but I will not give up.
It is
important to me that he is rooted in Christianity. I have learnt that taking
him to church is not enough. We talk about Jesus, and God, about how much He
loves us and what He expects us to do and not do, and we pray together.
Sometimes I ask him to pray.
Children
learn by example, and soak in a huge amount of information and observe how
people around them behave. One has to be on guard constantly to make sure that
the environment and behaviours around the child are positive and reinforcing.
Thank you
for reading! I wish us the very best as we strive to be the best parents that
we can be!
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