An open letter from an entitled Lagos child

So I read this and like usual, I'm salty.

If we want our children to bring about the desired change we have been praying for on behalf of our dear country, then pls, pls let begin now and teach them to work hard so they can stand alone and most importantly be content....not having to "steal"....which seem to be the norm these days.

Pls pass it on and you are welcome to join the group.

Subject: An open letter to middle-class parents in Lagos

To: lagosparents@googlegroups.com

“30 is the new 18”. That seems to be an unspoken but widely accepted mindset among the last 2 generations of parents in Nigeria .
At age 18 years, a typical young adult in the UK leaves the clutches of his/her parents for the University, chances are, that’s the last time those parents will ever play “landlord” to their son or daughter except of course the occasional home visits during the academic year.
At 21 years + or -, the now fully grown and independent minded adult graduates from University, searches for employment, gets a job and shares a flat with other young people on a journey into becoming fully fledged adults.

Wait, isn't this what most entitled kids in the diaspora are doing? Don't UNILag kids do this too? iConfuse. I have a job and I share a town home with 3 other entitled kids. My digs are fancy though, I should pictures up. We have this fish tank with blue lights and whatnot. That thing brings all the girls to the yard, if you know what I mean.

I can hear the echo of parents saying, well, that is because the UK economy is thriving, safe, well structured and jobs are everywhere? I beg to differ and I ask that you kindly hear me out.

I am UK trained Recruitment Consultant and I have been practising for the past 10 years in Nigeria . I have a broad range of experience from recruiting graduates to executive director level of large corporations.

In addition, I talk from the point of view of someone with relatively privileged upbringing. Driven to school every day, had my clothes washed for me, barred from taking any part-time job during my A-levels so that I could concentrate on studying for my exams?!

Oh, you were an entitled kid too? What school did you go to? Loyola? Grange? Olashore? Adesoye? I might have friends that went to school with you. You know how we entitled kids roll, we always know someone that knows someone.

BUT... I got the opportunity to live apart from my parents from age 18 and the only time I came back home to stay was for 3 months before I got married

Quick question, broseph. Did you "live apart from your parents" because of college? The 3 months you stayed with your parents, was that when you finally moved back to Nigeria?

Am I saying that every parent should wash their hands off their children at age 18? No, not at all. Of course, I enjoyed the savings that I made from living on and off at my parent’s house in London – indeed that is the primary reason for my being able to by myself a 3 bedroom flat in London at age 25 with absolutely no direct financial help from my parents!

Dannng!!! If it aint Mr. Big Ballin'. You got financial help from your parents because they didn't charge your ass rent while you stay at their digs. If you paid rent, you wouldn't be able to "by" yourself a bedroom flat in London at the age of 25. Why is "bying" a 3 bedroom flat at 25 a big deal anyway? My roommate last year owns a house now. He's 23 and works for the Boys' Scouts. He's a poor bastard too.

For me, pocket money stopped at age 22, not that it was ever enough for my lifestyle to compete with Paris Hilton’s or Victoria Beckham’s. Meanwhile today, we have Nigerian children who have never worked for 5 minutes in their lives insisting on flying “only” first or business class, carrying the latest Louis Vuitton ensemble, Victoria ’s Secret underwear and wearing Jimmy Choo’s, fully paid for by their “loving” parents.

Now I see why you're vexed. You weren't as entitled. Awww...poor baby. Did you go to ISL or one of those razz schools? Speaking of LV, I got these gorgeous LV loafers the other day. It was on sale for like $500 too. Such a steal!

I often get calls from anxious parents, my son graduated 2 years ago and is still looking for a job, can you please assist! Oh really! So where exactly is this “child” is my usual question. Why are you the one making this call dad/mum?

I am yet to get a satisfactory answer, but between you and me, chances are that big boy is cruising around Lagos with a babe dressed to the nines, in his dad’s spanking new SUV with enough “pocket money” to put your salary to shame.

Was that my mum? She always does things like that. She still thinks I'm her little boy. She's such a helicopter mother. But, how do you know the kid hasn't been applying for jobs? Those things are online anyway. You're probably Igbo that's why you don't know. I don't blame you, it's not your fault.

It is not at all strange to have a 28 year old who has NEVER worked for a day in his or her life in Nigeria but “earns” a six figure “salary” from parents for doing absolutely nothing.

Hey! That's a legit job. I'm my mother's personal assistant and I earn every damn kobo of that six figure salary.

I see them in my office once in a while.... 26 years old with absolutely no skills to sell, apart from a shiny CV, written by his dad’s secretary in the office. Of course, he has a driver at his beck and call and he is driven to the job interview. We have a fairly decent conversation and we get to the inevitable question - so, what salary are you looking to earn? Answer comes straight out - N250,000. I ask if that is per month or per annum? Of course it is per month. Oh, why do you think you should be earning that much on your first job? Well, because my current pocket money is N200,000 and I feel that an employer should be able to pay me more than my parents. I try very hard to compose myself...

See how I know you're Igbo, you think only a secretary can write a resume. You are just mad cuz I gots mad skillz on the computer. I deserve that six figure salary because of that alone. I ghostwrite the emails my mother sends to me. That's talent. Oh and the driver is not mine,he's my mother's. She told me to drop me off at your joint because I have no car. That's sorta why I need the job, so I can buy a car.

Overparenting is in my opinion the greatest evil handicapping the Nigerian youth. It is at the root of our national malaise. We have a youth population of tens of millions of who are being “breastfed and diapered” well into their 30s.

Even though the examples I have given above are from parents of considerable affluence, similar patterns can be observed from Abeokuta to Adamawa!

Wake up mum! Wake up dad!

You are practically loving your children to death! No wonder corruption continues to thrive. We have a society of young people who have been brought up to expect something for nothing... as if it were a birth right.

I want to encourage you to send your young men and women (anyone over 20 can hardly be called a child!) out into the world, maybe even consider reducing or stopping the pocket money to encourage them to think, explore and strive. Let them know that it is possible for them to succeed without your “help”.

Take a moment to think back to your own time as a young man/woman, what if someone had kept spoon feeding you, would you be where you are today?



--
Regards,
(Author's name witheld)

Dear "Author's name witheld",

Signed,
Entitled Lagos Child

People need to quit acting like entitled kids are a Nigerian thing. NEWSFLASH! Rich kids everywhere have an unwarranted sense of self entitlement.

It's not some new phenomena either, it has been happening for a long time. Lucky Igbenedion, do you think he wasn't entitled? Do you think his dad didn't "make" him governor? Get over your damn self righteous self. You'd think the author worked his way up from a houseboy to that flat in London.

Does this look like the face of a man that's work a day in his life? Ok, maybe he kinda does. He's ugly as hell.

Oh and FYI, middle class parents can't afford giving their kids 200k a month.