Childhood Punishment & Discpline
Did you ever get beat when you were younger?
What is "Of course! And sometimes, for things I don’t even remember doing!"
What was one cultural rule or expectation you always found ridiculous?
What is "Not being allowed to question anything—even when it made no sense!"
What’s one thing about your upbringing that you wouldn’t trade for anything?
What is "The strong sense of family, culture, and resilience!"
What was the most creative excuse you gave to avoid punishment? Did it work?
What is "I told them my stomach hurt! It worked… for 10 minutes!"
How did your parents settle sibling fights?
What is "By beating everybody! No investigation, just punishment!"
What was the worst punishment you ever received?
What is "Standing on one leg with my hands up for hours… or getting chased around the house!"
Did your parents ever embarrass you in public because you weren’t “acting right”?
What is "Yes! One wrong move, and they would call me out in front of everyone like it was a public service announcement!"
How did your parents instill respect for your culture and traditions?
What is "By making sure we spoke our language, ate our food, and never forgot where we came from!"
Did your parents ever threaten to send you “back home” as punishment?
What is "Yes! ‘I will put you on the next flight to Ghana/Nigeria/Kenya!’"
Were you ever compared to a sibling or cousin? How did it feel?
What is "Yes! ‘See your cousin, he is a doctor. What are you doing with your life?’"
What was your parents' weapon of choice for discipline?
What is "A slipper, a belt, a wooden spoon… whatever was within reach!"
Were you allowed to sleep over at a friend’s house?
What is "Absolutely not! African parents don’t ‘do’ sleepovers. ‘Do you not have a house?’"
What’s a stereotype about African/Black parents that was absolutely true in your house?
What is "Yelling your name from across the house just to pass the remote that’s right next to them!"
What’s something your parents said to scare you that you now find hilarious?
What is "‘If you whistle at night, snakes will come!’"
What was the most chaotic family gathering you remember?
What is "Any wedding, funeral, or Christmas dinner—so much food, gossip, and drama!"
Did you ever try to “run away” after getting in trouble?
What is "Yes! I made it to the gate… but then I remembered I had no money, no food, and African parents don’t do ‘runaways’!"
What was a “forbidden” activity your parents didn’t let you do because they thought it was un-African?
What is "Going to a party, playing outside too long, or eating food that wasn’t cooked at home!"
Did you have to “code-switch” growing up? How did you navigate it?
What is "Yes! One way is at home, and the other way is at school. You had to know when to switch!"
What was your go-to strategy for avoiding trouble?
What is "Fake sleeping or suddenly becoming the most helpful child ever!"
Did you have any cousins who were like your “partners in crime”?
What is "Yes! We would plot together and cover for each other!"
What was the dumbest thing you got in trouble for?
What is "Laughing too much, asking ‘why,’ or existing in the wrong place at the wrong time!"
What’s an unwritten rule in African households that no one ever questioned but made no sense?
What is "Not being allowed to close your door… even when you just wanted privacy!"
What’s a childhood memory that makes you proud to be Black or African?
What is "Learning my traditions, celebrating my culture, and knowing I come from a strong lineage!"
What’s the funniest misunderstanding you had with your parents because of cultural differences?
What is "Explaining what a ‘crush’ was and they thought I was talking about getting married!"
What’s the most legendary way your parents “solved” a sibling dispute?
What is "They made both of us do chores together so we ‘learn to work as a team’—even though we were just fighting five minutes ago!"