Nollywood actress and producer, Mercy Aigbe has shared important lessons she has learnt about being a parent.
She recently recalled a moment with her daughter that reshaped how she acts as a mother to her children.
Speaking in a clip recorded during a public speaking engagement, the movie star shared how she once hit her daughter’s head with a bucket out of anger, only to be reminded about the incident at a future date.
She said that her daughter, Mitchelle, referenced the incident days later, reminding her about how she was deeply hurt after enduring such treatment from her own mother.
Mercy revealed that she immediately apologized to her daughter, expressing how sorry she was for the times she crossed the line as a mother.
Admitting to being a tough parent, the filmmaker confirmed that she knows she can be really harsh at times, but she only overreacts just to make sure her kids get the kind of firm upbringing she got from her own parents.
According to her, Mitchelle actually refused to pick her call for a while as payback for the bucket incident, and that made her realize that she took her correction too far.
“A few years ago, I sent my daughter to Canada for school. I was calling her and she didn’t pick. When she finally did, she reminded me, ‘Mommy, remember you hit a bucket on my head one day.’ And that hurt me deeply.
So I said, Michelle, I’m so sorry. You might think that the upbringing I gave you was harsh. I was harsh, I can’t lie,” she said.
Aigbe then used her story to emphasise how unresolved trauma and strict parenting can often be passed down from generation to generation in African families, reiterating the need for reflection, accountability, and emotional healing from time to time.
“As African parents, we are too proud. But if I can do it — if I can apologize and have these conversations — then others can too,” she added.
