Where Did We Lose It?

Hello Eya and WC visitors. Pls ill like mature analysis of this mail. No teen aged reply(not just by age,even from adults). Forgive me if my tone may sound harsh cos I’m  practically livid by an incident and I’m usually a calm person. Here goes:
My neighbour and friend is off for Omugwo at her first daughters house in another state, so she begs me to pop into her house once in awhile to be sure everything is ok. She has four more kids aged 21, 17/17 and 15.(Boy, boy/girl(twin) and girl). My neighbour and I are very good friends and have mutual respect for each other. I’m also not the type to judge people, I have her consent to publish this cos she’s also a WC visitor.

Now one day, I go over to her house by late noon and after asking welfare and all, I’m surprised to learn that the kids are yet to have lunch by 4pm. What’s the reason? Shock: the 15yr old daughter whose is supposed to cook is
waiting for light from PHCN to warm the soup with the micro wave and boil water for eba with the electric jug!(They hv a very spacious kitchen. There’s gas/ cooker which she can use, filled with gas and also a local stove).they rather prefer to nib on junks while waiting. I decide to make light of the situation cos I know these kids not to be lazy, no flattery. I actually think its their mind set.

 Another day, I go visiting and the reason for not cooking again is cos ‘there’s no light to blend pepper and crayfish’! Jesus Christ! How did we get here? My neighbour hear ‘nwi‘ for my hand when she returned. Fear catch me to even ask if they do their laundry themselves without washing machine.

Now readers, don’t get me wrong, I don’t have any problems with all these easy to use machine that has made life easier.(thank God I own some of them so its not envy. No shallow mindedness pls) I’m only wondering if every body wld end up marrying super rich. Ideally-Yes, Really-No. Growing up, we had blender and some other machines, but my mum still made us use manual method as part of training. I remember in pry 3 upwards, it was my duty to pound Tomatoes whenever we needed it. I so hated it then but who cared and it helped shape me. I’m not saying we shld all go back to early morning farm work etc but some basics. It pains me that my kids don’t speak my language very well cos I’m just like 85% good at it. 

Kids these days can’t even wash a handful of bitterleaf, even the pre-washed ones from the market, can’t pick or cut common Ugu leaf etc, would rather cut it in the market(which isn’t too healthy by the way). its not about using the grinding stone in this age, but if its indigenous to ur culture, let her have the knowledge.

I enjoy these machines, but I’m also proud I have knowledge of manual methods. Doesn’t it look stupid having to blend just 4 seeds of pepper? Pls readers, what’s ur take?

42 thoughts on “Where Did We Lose It?”

  1. Facebooking nko? you cal a child, she responds but takes another 30 minutes to appear because she is on Facebook and doesn't know how to drop the phone and run out. Children nowadays, I can't say it's the parents fault what about technology that has come to stay with all it good and other things.

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  2. Do kids really need to learn how to wash bitterleaf and pound egusi? Things are changing and in the nearest future we may all be washing clothes with machines.

    These machines are produced to make life easier. Why bother teaching kids obsolete and about to die methods when there are machines to even pound yams. I don't think I'll bother teaching my children how to pound yam. If they can't get electric yam pounders, they can mix the poundo flour and get the same result.

    In the past we suffered unnecessaily in these parts of the world. Unproductive tasks should be done by machines. Let the kids read their books/study and think more on how to produce better machines rather than spend time squeezing bitterleaf.#my two cents.

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  3. I think its just the period we are in. Its not totally the parents fault but the kids feel 'life has been made easy for them so why break a sweat?!'Most principled parents still insist but you can't hide them away from the fast growing technologies.

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  4. It's the new world order, everything you see is no more real, rather half baked or just simply 21'st century!

    Most of these kids have been bewitched by technology and gadgets, they'll rather 2go, wassap, BBM or facebook than wash, cook or just read.

    Rehearsing Personally or Chris Browns "fine china" is more important than reading.

    Fixing hair, and doing make-over, barbing mo-hawk and co is more satisfying to doing home chores! So it's a world-wide phenomenon.

    Nuff'Said…

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  5. I totally disagree with some people here.As for me,though not yet married,I can use grinding stone to grind pepper,wash bitterleaf well and do other things without machines just because my parents taught me how to us my hands well and I never failed any exams thruout my stay in school.Everything is proper training and I would train my children well in those aspect even if I am the governors or president's wife! My children must know and understand their moyher tongue also.Well,am sorry to say,why wouldn't there be sickness that has not been from time past when all people know is use machines for the simplest thing.Well,its in the bible that knowledge increases and men run to and fro.This advent of technology has its own disadvantage because too much of everything is bad.Am annoyed as the woman above sef.Let's teach our children the way we were thought and not spoil them.

    ADEYANJU

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  6. Tu me i tink its d parents fault as children nids tu b taught dese tins cos dy mite nid dem in schl/mariage as nt all ll gt maried tu a super rich/rich guy.
    Lets all try tu imbibe tins in our culture dat r relevnt&useful tu our children as dese technlogi is oly killin it,mayb in future dy ll b shakin hands wit dere parents as gretins,its well.

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  7. I totally disagree with some people here.As for me,though not yet married,I can use grinding stone to grind pepper,wash bitterleaf well and do other things without machines just because my parents taught me how to us my hands well and I never failed any exams thruout my stay in school.Everything is proper training and I would train my children well in those aspect even if I am the governors or president's wife! My children must know and understand their moyher tongue also.Well,am sorry to say,why wouldn't there be sickness that has not been from time past when all people know is use machines for the simplest thing.Well,its in the bible that knowledge increases and men run to and fro.This advent of technology has its own disadvantage because too much of everything is bad.Am annoyed as the woman above sef.Let's teach our children the way we were thought and not spoil them.

    ADEYANJU

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  8. I dnt see anything wrong in teaching your kids manual, they shld learn both ways… Better for them. If yerima can bring back old trad. Of getting married to young children, we dnt know what's next! Any goverment can stop the importation of these machines, and what becomes of our kids… Lol
    For the record enh, I really do wait for PHCN or use my generator to blend, wash, cook and other stuff… Can't just do manual anymore.. And when I thing of pounded yam, I think of poundo yam.. Lol. But my mum taught me everything manual and I have all the manual stuff too including grinding stone… She got me everything.. Lovely mum! I nor fit use abeg.. They shld ocupy space for now!

    Patsy

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  9. I learnt how to pound yam at age 12(proper edo babe), grinded pepper and tomatoes with grinding stone and all the manual things. Even though my kids have not come of age to learn the manual way of doing things, I know I'll teach them. Presently because I don't have a maid(by reason of choice) I use machines for chores and all. I still pick my ugwu and cut myself because of what I learnt in home economics class, whenever I want 2ask a favour from hubby I use my mortar 2pound yam, any other time I use ola ola. Its time we are, but knowledge of both ways(automatic and manual) should be learnt

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  10. Poster I feel you jare. See me I learnt how to drive with automatic gear. Give me manual gear and I'll look like a fool. But then again, no modern car comes in manual

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  11. I also disagree with most of the comments I've seen so far.
    I'm still single, though, engaged to be married.
    I'm able to use, quite comfortably and with ease, every manual device used for house keeping as well as the electric.
    I can't even think of any electric device I can say I depend on, and, Yes, I do prefer to wash manually (I begun to have a phobia for washing machines as, growing up and till now, the one in my family house never did properly wash out an article of clothing to my satisfaction and so I learned to stay away).
    I'm a successful lawyer and my Saturdays have me doing all domestic chores; washing the floor, doing the laundry, cleaning and airing the house, cooking ( and if its soup, I cut my veggies myself- okra or pumpkin, I pound crayfish if I absolutely must, I have a very special receipe I use to eat boiled or fried yam and the receipe includes pounding pepper and onions together).
    Oh, and, I totally loathe poundo yam- it just feels rather "artificial" for me and lacks that "drawing" quality/consistency a manually pounded one has and so, :D, I enjoy pounding my yam and if it so happens that I can't, I buy it from an eatery I know that does as most use poundo and I know the few that still go au natural, lol.
    And will I teach my kids the benefits of learning these?
    Are you kidding? It will be a rule, an absolute must- a girl's got to learn every bit of home management she needs to help her be a fantastic home-maker.
    If possible, the girls'll get part time jobs as apprentices in hair salons and learn the skill of braiding, fixing and all that stuff- and they begin at a young age too- and it doesn't matter how "genteel" an upbringing I intend for them to have, "their head must come down to the ground".

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  12. I concure so much wit annom 12.01. Let's stop blaming it on d advent of technology alone. I blame it on the parents! Yea the mother especially!! Every child grows from wat u imbibe in them. Imagine waiting for phcn to blend seeds of pepper and crysfish wen u can quicky do dat wit small morta and pistle and get ur food done, (not wit stone). It's not abt old skool it's abt learning both ways.In as much as I fancy modern tech.,I stil make do wit dat old tech sometimes. I cook wit stove wen I can't refil my gas, wash my cloths myself, blend wit morta and pistle wen dias no light, pound yam , scrub d floor wit mob, sweep with broom and do other chores wen I can't get it done wit tech. So please young mothers teach your kids the basis its very very important. Am not saying dey should go back to d old lives cuz its quite stressfull but if dose kids have had d basis from dia mum while growing up they would ve made dia lunch dat very day u visited. #My own cent#

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  13. Dey were simply being kids even d one dat is 21, my 3 kids are 22,19 nd 17 and even dou dey knw hw to pound and use grinding stone each time my husband nd I travel dey confess to being very lazy since we re nt around dey dnt even cook dey use d money given to them to eat snacks nd co until d day my husband nd i come back. Its good to teach you kids all this tins bt in dis case dey were just being kids.

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  14. May i also add that technology has totally murdered your spellings because I'm sure this is not what you were taught in school. Nowadays we cant even tell who can spell & who can not because everyone is abbreviating but you took yours to a whole new level. I bet you dont know the correct spellings of some of those words.

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  15. Dear poster am 24 years old currently serving (NYSC) and I live with my uncle in Abuja.my uncle's family is currently not in d country so it's just d to of us. When ever my uncle travels I eat junk, indomie, drink garri etc. This doesn't mean I can't cook. Infact every one says am an excellent cook I can pound with motar and I still blend. So this epistle is to support Mrs Salami. Don't be so quick to conclude dat d kids can't do thier chores. When ever supervision is lacking kids and young adults tend to relax.

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  16. Dear poster am 24 years old currently serving (NYSC) and I live with my uncle in Abuja.my uncle's family is currently not in d country so it's just d to of us. When ever my uncle travels I eat junk, indomie, drink garri etc. This doesn't mean I can't cook. Infact every one says am an excellent cook I can pound with motar and I still blend. So this epistle is to support Mrs Salami. Don't be so quick to conclude dat d kids can't do thier chores. When ever supervision is lacking kids and young adults tend to relax.

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  17. Comfort is good but we can't solely relay on those stuffs.It amaze when I hear people say they depend solely on electrical appliances. I grew up with my maternal grandmother(God bless her soul) despite all the electrical appliances her children provided for her, she taught me how to do everything manually to the extend of cooking with firewood and am so glad I learnt all that. Am married and my husband appreciate everything he also helps out whenever there's no light and I resort to doing things manually and if God bless me with children, I'll teach them how to do things manually.

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  18. Well, berry and most people have said it all. I remember I started washing bitter leaf as early as 9 or 10. I'll pound akwu and ede, grind crayfish, wash beans, boil rice, make eba, use grinding stone to grind pepper. My brother and I used to think my mum was wicked but the day I went to my uncle's place and I helped to wash bitter leaf and his hard to please wife was pleased, men, I was happy. I really don't want to judge this woman's children but the lessons my mum taught me has stuck. I don't cook noodles because am lazy to cook. As an undergraduate, I cooked fried rice when I felt like eating, I made akara from scratch, etc. Infact I've never seen ola ola in our kitchen besides it is not 100% natural( am a food technologist and my project was on instant poundo yam flour, and half of it is cassava or potato starch hence its low viscosity asides other preservatives added). Well, poster, its not only kitchen and house chores that is affected; how about spelling? We'd rather Use shorthand and the likes. Finally, you can take a horse to the water but you can't force it to drink. We can't say our parents are not teaching us but some of us just want to be more Catholic than the Pope; its everything from obodo oyibo we copy hook,line and sinker.

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  19. I don't care if she uses a crane to lift the cooking spoon.
    Imma only have problem with my future wife if she doesn't know how to cook all my local delicacies like onugbu soup,ofe nsala,abacha,ugba,nkwobi,ji abubo etc.

    ~BONARIO~says so via NOKIA3310

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  20. I see nothing wrong with the kids please. Thank God for technology so why stress your kids. As long as they can cook well and keep the house clean that is what matters how ever they get to the end product is their biz… So peeps stop castigating them cos trust me some of us here will have or have more lazy children.

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  21. Its good U said they know how to cook using different methods. Its fine if they decide to do 'easy cooking' sometimes. What's scary is if they eventually make it a habit. Imagine how we may easily scold the maid/cook for not getting the food done on time(wonder what wld happen if the cook decides not to cook at all), but wld easily excuse our kids for same offence. That's the life of an undergraduate. It shldnt be a re-occuring scene

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  22. Isn't that just unfortunate madam? You think that ur daughter will not need to go see some Inlaws in d village and need to use a grinding stone or motar? Pls sister help your self. This country has not grown reach 24hrs light if there is no light, then?
    Let me giv u an instance, I am married to d son of a former senator, recently I went to spent some time with them in d village and I mostly had to use the motar to pound my pepper and co and I am a well established financial sector worker. Sometimes we just have to be prepared for any situation in life dats all am saying.
    Am not happy wt ur reply I know it's how u feel but Haba?
    Sorry it's just how I feel too.
    Mrs A

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  23. @the single perfectionist lawyer, my sister by the time you combine all those ones with work and a couple of kids, you will agree that body no be firewood. Unless of course you want to die young.

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  24. People are taking this thing too seriously. Well things are not the same. when most of us were growing up there was no gsm even. Washing machines were rare and probably ineffective. No Facebook etc etc. My point is… things are different right now.

    That said as a mother, I think we should teach them some manual things and discard some. I learnt how to use a grinding stone but I never had to use it so I won't be passing that on to ma kids. They will learn how to pound with d mortar and pestle (especially onions and pepper for yam sauce.hehehe). They will learn to wash their clothes even though I will use the machine for most, they will learn to sweep, mop, dust and do the dishes thoroughly(my 6 year old already can). But they will watch more TV than I did and I will try to minimize stress on everybody.

    As for d facebook issue, my kids know me o. I give them wonderful treats but I flog just as hard. If I inculcate it into them now that they must run when mama calls then hopefully it will stick. Anyways there are many ways to kill a rat.

    poster the kids might not be that bad but since their mum was not home its to be expected that they would be relaxed. I am sure that we are all guilty of this.

    28 year old mother of 4*

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  25. And we wonder y the number of pple even kids with obesity is on the increase, when doing chores manually were not only doing d chore but exerising our bodies as well. Since we know abt technology so much have we bothered to check what excessive exposure to some of d radiations from these machines do. Aside from dat what about d economic aspect we can reduce how much electricity we consume by some thins manually.

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  26. There's absolutely nothing wrong wiv teaching our kids how to use a mortar, wash clothes wiv thier hands or use a broom. It's not punishment @ allllll. Yes oyibo has made life easy for us wiv all these appliances but it's still important to teach them. I remember one day my mum wanted to cook and asked me to use fire wood, I was like ah! Mummy fire wood ke? Noo. she said won't u learn how to use firewood so that infutre u won't have a problem. I said lie lie, In my house we won't use stove talk less of firewood. She said life won't always be rosy my dear. We laffed. But it's d truth.
    Now in my own home I'm glad I know these things.

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  27. The first thing here is that these are teenagers, we should not expect teenagers to have the mindset of 40+yr old people. I don't know any teenager who would take the harder way out if an easier way is available. Certainly also the 15 yr old may feel some ways about having to cook for the older ones, and may not care since everybody is of an age to fend for themself. I honestly don't see an issue here.

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  28. @mrs salima 22 n 19 are aldult they may b kids to u but dey r full grown adult, at 21 i was already a graduate,22 i got married, nw am 23 i hv a baby who is 8month plus. I take care of my home alone.@ Topic, i think its necessary for mothers to teach their kids how to do some things manually,though am nt doing much of manual stuff in my house but i'll make sure my kids learn most of these things.

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  29. @mrs salima 22 n 19 are aldult they may b kids to u but dey r full grown adult, at 21 i was already a graduate,22 i got married, nw am 23 i hv a baby who is 8month plus. I take care of my home alone.@ Topic, i think its necessary for mothers to teach their kids how to do some things manually,though am nt doing much of manual stuff in my house but i'll make sure my kids learn most of these things.

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