THE MYTH OF COCONUT WATER MAKING KIDS DULL

THE MYTH OF COCONUT WATER MAKING KIDS DULL 

A mild drama ensued between my kids and I when I was drinking coconut water. 

It happened that Wifey wanted to prepare coconut rice - one of our favourite local delicacies back in Warri. Growing up in Dimoni and Okandeji Streets, I savoured, demolished this African cuisine with excitement, especially those sold on wheelbarrows. 

I haven't seen a place where coconut rice is sold in Abuja and even if there is, the taste can't be compared to Warri ( a place in Nigeria). In the few Abuja restaurants that sell our local meals, we eat poison in the name of Pepper Soup, Banga Soup, Owho Soup (some special nigNige food) etc. 

You can imagine my ecstasy last week when Wifey indicated her intention to prepare coconut rice - first time in 2023.... Before cutting them into smaller pieces to blend and sieve the coconut milk, I requested that she put the coconut water in a cup for me. 

This she did and I kept the water in the refrigerator to chill. All the while, my kids were playing and singing, "I want to eat coconut rice". 🎵 🎶 🎵

After 15minutes, I returned to fetch the chilled coconut water, sat down jejely, crossed my legs on the table and started sipping, ruminating on the good things of life, when my 4-year-old daughter interrupted: 

HER: Daddy, give me. 

ME: Do you know what I'm drinking?

HER: Yes, coconut water. 

Not long after, her kid brother joined her. My initial response was to resist but on a second thought, I gave up and acceded to their demands. 

At one point, they seized the cup from me and drank everything while I watched in utter speechlessness, awe, wonder. 

As they both drank the water, I had a flashback to my growing up in Warri and the myth associated with coconut water. As kids, we were made to believe that coconut water makes kids dull, unintelligent; looking in the mirror at night, you will see ghost; kids are not entitled to full egg, else they become thieves; chicken thighs (laps), gizzards are exclusive preserve of men while chicken wings, head, neck, legs are for kids. 

There's no scientific evidence that this delicious fruit water affects a child’s brain and make them dull. If anything, it has great health benefits for children and adults alike. 

Modern day parents should stop depriving their kids good things of life under the guise of superstition. That our parents used superstition to scare us is not a yardstick to do same to our kids.

A personal experience as an African