Veteran Nigerian actress Patience Ozokwor has cautioned parents against shielding their children from every form of hardship, arguing that doing so could negatively affect their development.

According to the actress, parents who work hard to ensure their children never experience the struggles they endured while growing up may unintentionally prevent them from learning important life lessons.

“When you say you don’t want your children to suffer the way you suffered when you were growing up, that’s the best way to destroy them,” she said.

Speaking in an interview on Femi Babs TV on September 2, 2026, Ozokwor stressed that she was not advocating for parents to deliberately make their children suffer.

“I’m not saying allow them to suffer, but allow them to struggle. They should go through the process because when they don’t struggle, they wouldn’t know how it feels like,” she explained.

She illustrated her point by referring to parents who accumulate substantial wealth and property for their children without teaching them the value of hard work.

Why I like acting wicked roles - Patience Ozokwor opens up

“Can you imagine you have 20 houses at different locations; your children will just be struggling to know which one belongs to them. They don’t know how you struggled to get those things,” she shared.

Ozokwor advised parents to preserve what they have built while encouraging their children to work towards acquiring their own achievements. “When you keep the things you have and let them know that they should also get theirs,” she stated.

The veteran actress further encouraged parents to expose their children to some of the realities and challenges of life, while cautioning that they do not necessarily have to experience every hardship their parents went through.

“Let the children know the pains of life but not all,” she said.

According to her, even limited exposure to hardship can help children develop gratitude and a better appreciation of their circumstances.

“The little they know will tell them that when they look back, they will see some people going through harder ones and they will thank God for where they are,” Ozokwor added.

“The fastest way to ruin a child’s life is to say you don’t want them to suffer the way you did. When you’re gone, they may start fighting over your property. I told my son, ‘My house isn’t yours,go and work for your own.’”

— Patience Ozokwor (Mama G) pic.twitter.com/aQvo0HwZeS

— carter🌚 (@carter8f) September 2, 2026