I enjoyed my childhood as the first child of the family; I enjoyed some privileges that made my childhood fun, although then technology wasn't this advanced,d, so I couldn't watch most of the cartoons this present Gen Z (modern) generation is enjoying. Although there were few toys available then, which I do make use of, and one of my favorites was my big teddy bear. While growing up as a child then, the teddy bear was bigger than I am; my mom got it for me on one of my birthdays; I can't remember the year.
Being the first child, I enjoyed pampering from all sides which contributed to me being a spoilt brat at some point in my life. I had no regard for anyone, irrespective of the age difference. I meddled in adult matters that were none of my business and always claimed some rights, which now sounds so hilarious to me, but then it wasn't. Fortunately, my mom noticed on time and corrected me with immediate effect, she began to punish me anytime I misbehaved rudely to an elder. I have quite a lot of childhood memories which range from the pampering to the punishments.
One of my childhood best memories is the celebration of my birthdays. Ever since I clocked a year old, I've been celebrating my birthdays yearly; not a year would go by, and I wouldn't have a birthday celebration. My parents always made sure they celebrated my birthday, and that was throughout my primary school education. In my school then, any child celebrating his or her birthday would wear a mufti (a beautiful dress instead of the school uniform) to school with different snacks and toys to share with his or her classmates. I always look forward to my birthday every year because I'm sure to wear new clothes to school accompanied by lots of gifts to share. The day is always special as one would be treated specially in the class, on birthdays, the celebrant is not flogged even when the class is being beaten or punished. Apart from being celebrated in school, I do enjoy princess treatments from my parents at home boasting to all my friends that my dad doesn't beat me because I am his princess. But the story changed after I graduated from primary school, it was then I entered the beating caucus.
Then, when I'm disciplined, I see it as my parents maltreating me, especially my mom; she is always ready with slaps of different sizes depending on the offense. There are times when the slaps are just the tip of an iceberg to the big beating on the way. When I became a teenager, and I wanted to be mature, the approach in which my parents corrected me also matured. I graduated from slaps to different kinds of punishments and the worst of it that I can never forget is the beating with a gas hose. As thick as that thing is that was how my dad used it on me. There was a day I misbehaved and got beaten by my dad and couldn't sit; my buttocks were swollen and sore for days. Well then, I never wanted any of those punishments, but today, I'm glad I was corrected earlier, which shaped my life into who I am today. These are all the memories I hold dear to my heart because it was never maltreatment but teachings.
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