‘Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child’ and consequence of a divided home, by Michael Olatunbosun |

On Books Splash today, I present to you a play: “Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child,” written by Winner Motunrayo Adebayo and published in 2017 by Omoniyi Publishers, Ibadan. The author, Winner Motunrayo Adebayo, was born in 2005. Winner Adebayo attended Police Children School II, Agugu; Headquarter International College, Adekile; and Oyo State School of Science, Wesley College Elekuro, Ibadan, all in Oyo State.

The book Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child is a 5-Act play, which exposes the reader to the negative consequences of lack of or improper child training. 

The book shows that children not properly trained today will bring sorrow and disgrace to the parents and the nation in the future.

This is precisely the lot of Juliana in this work. Juliana is an only child of Mr. and Mrs. Steve and she is allowed to make her choices by her Mother, particularly.

In the play, Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child, Winner tells us the story of her central character, Juliana, who is over-pampered by her Mother, even against the open disagreement of her Father. Mrs. Steve would openly disagree with her husband’s method of training for their only child. Mr. Steve believes that Juliana should be properly trained like decent families do, but his wife would always tell him to allow the child to have her way.

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In this play, Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child, we also meet the family of Mr. & Mrs. Bolagade, the parents of Jadesola. In their family, we are told that Jadesola receives the best training and moral instruction, with constant admonition from her parents that it is good to honour parents, do good and to avoid bad gangs. But as fate would have it, both Juliana and Jadesola are roommates in the same school. They are also classmates. How they both are able to navigate their lives is set out in this play. We read about how one girl chooses to live a modest life at school, and studies hard, and the other prefers the easy way. She goes to parties and joins a gang of girls. And her meeting and relationship with Sola, even as both of them are still in secondary school.

In this work, Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child, Winner also presents to us the problem that arises in the home when both parents do not speak with one voice when it comes to the training and discipline of children. Therefore it is always proper for both parents to bring up their children in the fear of God.

In this book, the examination results are released, and Jadesola passes her examinations and secures a scholarship to go to the university. Juliana fails woefully, but lies about her result, and becomes a notorious armed robber. One day Juliana’s gang of thieves is arrested and taken to court. Jadesola, her secondary school roommate, who is now a lawyer, tries her best. But Juliana is sentenced to 21 years imprisonment.

The author, Winner Motunrayo Adebayo, shows in this work that being an only child in a family should not mean that the child is untouchable or be spared from parental discipline, as this has its attendant repercussions. It provides crucial lessons for both families and the society at large.

. Olatunbosun is a broadcast journalist, fact-checker and book reviewer at Splash FM 105.5, Ibadan. He can be reached via 08023517565 (SMS and WhatsApp only) and email: miketunbosun74@gmail.com.

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