“My son broke three TVs, I don’t advocate for beating children” – Bovi shares parenting advice

Nigerian comedian and actor Bovi Ugboma has shared his thoughts on parenting, urging parents to approach the discipline of children with understanding rather than resorting to physical punishment. The comedian spoke about his experience as a father during an appearance on The Honest Bunch podcast, where he explained that one of his children had a habit of throwing things whenever he became upset. According to Bovi, the behaviour became so serious that his son ended up breaking three television sets. Bovi recalled that he had previously shared the incident publicly in 2021 after his son broke another television. At the time, the comedian jokingly put the child “up for sale” online following the incident. Reflecting on the experience during the podcast, Bovi said he does not support beating children as a method of correcting them. “I don’t advocate for beating children,” he said, explaining that parents should allow children to develop and learn while also helping them understand the consequences of their actions. He noted that he eventually began to notice remorse in his son after the incidents, adding that his financial ability also influenced how he handled the situation. Bovi further encouraged parents to examine their motives before hitting a child, questioning whether the punishment is genuinely intended to correct the child's behaviour or is simply a reaction to the parent's frustration. The comedian also spoke against the practice of giving older students authority to punish younger pupils in schools. According to him, children should not be placed in positions where they are expected to exercise authority over other children, particularly through physical punishment. He argued that the practice of having senior students discipline their juniors can create an unhealthy culture of fear and abuse. Bovi also stressed that parents should understand that children have different personalities and should not necessarily be raised using exactly the same approach. “You can’t raise four children the same way,” he said, explaining that applying one parenting method to every child can produce different reactions from siblings. The comedian's comments highlight his view that effective parenting requires parents to understand the individual personalities and needs of their children rather than relying solely on punishment. Bovi's experience with his son's repeated destruction of household items therefore became part of a wider lesson about patience, discipline and understanding in raising children.