ATTENTION PARENTS AND GUARDIANS!

You remember when you were a lot younger, your parents would order you to do this chore or shout at you for not reading your books religiously?

When parents were overbearing, almost domineering and children were expected to suck it in and tow the line without a whimper?

When your father was similar in status to Don Corleone, his word was law, and your mother had created a potent mixture of blackmail and threats to get you to do her bidding?

Ah yes! I know that you remember vividly and definitely have stories to tell about your childhood family dynamics.

If, however, you had relished the thought of unleashing the same toxic words and actions on your kids, please, I beg you, avoid GEN Z!

These are the current teens and twenties you are raising in your homes currently, in case you are wondering.

The Reasons!

These are a few characteristics of Gen Z's, so you can be better prepared for what lies ahead.

1. They are fiercely independent minded, good luck trying to change their minds when it's made up.

2. They want what they want, and they will keep coming back to you with their demands, until you give in, or you throw a shoe at them, depending on your patience level.

3. They need to understand why you asked them to do something or stop doing something, so you will get a lot of "why's" thrown at you, so be prepared.

4. Beatings, intimidation, or emotional blackmail don't work that well with them. They might back off for a while, but trust me, they will NOT back down!

5. Funny enough, money is number five on their motivation list! The number one motivation factor for them is the desire to be part of something bigger than them. That's why you see them passionately fighting for Wizzy or Davido, or Tacha on social media.

6. Because they spend most of their time indoors, in front of television sets or on mobile devices, the part of their brain that is responsible for developing empathy is relatively undeveloped compared to yours, so most times "they don't give a damn about anybody."

7. They are more prone to mental health challenges and have been described as the "loneliest generation" because of the length of time they spend indoors and online, which can foster feelings of isolation and depression.

So, if you thought you would get away with the abuses and excesses your parents got away with when they were raising you, without a challenge, think again.

Unlearn the toxic ways you were brought up and retool yourself for the task of raising successful and well-rounded kids, this generation.

Learn to engage with them instead of just giving orders.

Trust me, they are a lot smarter than you; their brains are Gigabyte sized compared to the megabyte size you had growing up.

They are Digital Natives, so they think in pictures, videos, and codes, while you are we're brought up with texts, so you are probably communicating on different frequencies.

It's time to change tactics and communicate effectively with your kids, or you just might lose them, even when they are still under your roof.

Start today.

God bless.

Femi Aderibigbe