My mum taught me an everlasting lesson without violence.

As a child growing up, my civil servant mum made sure a lot of things followed a particular routine and that included early morning devotion by 5:00am. The issue here was getting me to sleep early.

Since I became conscious as a human, I have remained a night crawler, going to bed really late and waking up early. I still get to function well with minimal sleep but my elder sister is always on my neck till date. She keeps telling me how I need to get more sleep as a growing child...a child in her early twenties. To my fellow last borns, we never really grow up in their eyes.

Back then, If my mum succeeds in getting me to lie in bed, then I can sleep early. But she also has a way of making this hard sometimes. Around 1:00am, she'll enter the children's room to kill mosquitoes. And surely like most mothers, she doesn't do it silently.

While sending down a heavy slap on my arm, back or shoulder depending on where the blood sucking mosquito perched, she would utter comforting words to me.

"This mosquito won't allow my child to sleep well."

"But mummy you're beating me."

"No, I'm beating the mosquito."

She is often kind not to switch on the light, but she comes in with her own unique torchlight. So after killing the mosquitoes, she stays back for some minutes to survey the room. This is where she will observe I have not removed the cobwebs in the room and how I've not cleaned the room for long.

Then she'll get a broom and try to do it right in the middle of the night. I would then have to wake up again and plead with her not to stress herself and promise to do it first thing in the morning.

After the above encounter, I don't need the spirits to tell me to sleep because once it is 4:00am, mum would start parading the house with her unique early morning songs. You'll just know time for morning devotion was getting close even if you're in the dreamland.

She doesn't stress herself with waking me up. I already know the normal thing. She starts singing and beating her homemade tambourine. Woe betide you if you don't get up and find your way to the sitting room. You'll be in her bad book for that day.

One day, I had enough and wanted to revolt. So I hatched a plan.

Half way into the morning devotion everyday, I would excuse myself and go to the toilet. I would lock the door from the inside and comfortably sleep off on the floor of the toilet. I only wake up when someone knocks on the door and then I would explain I was having a bad stomach ache.

This plan was working for me until that blessed day. Like they say, one day for the owner of the house.

I had excused myself as usual and entered the toilet to sleep. But then I didn't see the key inside the keyhole. I simply bolted the door and didn't care. I slept off and woke up after a rather unusual long time. I thought to myself; this one nobody came to knock today, hope all is well?

I tried to open the toilet but I couldn't. I bolted and unbolted again but nothing. Wow! I became pensive and started knocking on the door, but nobody answered me.

I knew I was in big trouble.

I sat there sobbing till the door was opened and I rushed out. My mum was just looking at me. I didn't need a magician to tell me she had already caught up with me. I quickly apologised with a puppy like face.

I stopped dodging morning devotions that day and many years later till now, whenever I am home for vacation or visits, I always join my mum no matter the time I went to bed.

Why am I sharing this?

Because it is important we realize that there are several ways we can teach lasting qualities and skills to our children. It is more effective showing them through actions, how good or bad a particular thing can be.

My mother taught me a lesson without tongue lashing, arguing or beating me up. It was a simple experience that has lasted with me for over 11 years now and I've never forgotten it. It is same with other lessons she taught me as a kid.

So here's an idea worth sharing with your friends and loved ones if you can; we can teach softly and correct gently. Every child counts and it is up to us, the adults in their lives to show them the right way to lead a better life as they grow up.

To parents, may grace continue to guide you as you navigate the murky waters of child training. And to future parents, may we obtain the grace to do right by our children when the time is right.

Thanks for reading.