Different worlds...

One of the most marked differences I noticed between Nigeria and Ireland is the children. Western kids are undoubtedly louder and more imposing than most of their Nigerian counterparts. Like many things, this seems to manifest itself in opposite extremes – howling, demanding brats and confident, articulate individuals. Most kids in Nigeria seem altogether quieter in the company of adults, although not necessarily less happy. Although kids don’t seem to be encouraged to assert themselves as much in Nigeria, life does feel much more family-focused than work-focused. I know there are a lot of obvious factors involved here, but I feel like there’s a bit of nervousness of other peoples’ kids in the West; as if we need to protect ourselves against any semblance of inappropriate behaviour. I think, because many kids spend much of their infancy strapped to their mother’s back in Nigeria, they observe much of life from a close distance and adapt easily to their surroundings; they simply can't be the centre of attention while their mother works. I know there’s no perfect place to raise kids, the differences are just more apparent when you travel between such diverse worlds…