Veteran Nollywood actress, Patience Ozokwor, popularly known as Mama G, has advised parents against shielding their children from every form of hardship, saying allowing them to experience some struggles is essential to raising responsible and resilient adults.

Ozokwor said she struggled her way to success, recalling that she once fried buns and prepared chicken to sell at movie locations and audition venues while saving the proceeds to cover her transportation expenses.

Speaking in an interview with Femi Bassey TV on YouTube, shared on Wednesday, the actress warned that parents who constantly tell their children they will not experience the difficulties they faced while growing up could inadvertently weaken them.

“When you say, ‘I don’t want my children to suffer what I suffered when I was growing up,’ okay, that’s the best way to destroy your children,” she said.

“I’m not saying allow them to suffer. What I’m saying is allow them to struggle. Go through the process.”

The actress said her own journey to success was far from easy, noting that she worked through difficult circumstances while raising her children and caring for her husband, who battled diabetes and hypertension for years.

Ozokwor recalled that when she joined the entertainment industry, she prepared and packaged food, including buns and chicken, which she sold to people at movie locations and audition venues.

“There was a time I was frying buns. When I even came into the industry, I would prepare chicken, dress it well. I would prepare buns for anyone you want to buy,” she said.

She explained that she saved the money she made from the sales to take care of her transportation and other needs.

According to the actress, those experiences also shaped her children, teaching them to take responsibility for themselves rather than relying entirely on what she had achieved.

Ozokwor said she ensured her children understood the effort behind the family’s possessions, recalling that three of her sons worked on construction projects while they were university students.

“I don’t say that your children will go through all the pains you went through, but let them go through little pains. Then they will know that it is not easy to make,” she said.

She further warned parents against handing everything to their children without teaching them how to preserve and build upon what they inherit.

“Don’t get this on the platter of gold. It’s not easy. Your father built three houses, four houses and you think you can balance on eating it,” she said.

Ozokwor also urged young people to embrace hard work, recalling that she did not depend entirely on her husband to provide everything she needed.

“I didn’t wait for my husband. I studied my husband. I knew the kind of person he was. I buttoned up and then tied my belt and I struggled,” she said.

The actress added that her children are now comfortable because they understand the value of hard work and the sacrifices involved in building a better life.

“My children know the pains of making life better and that’s why they are all comfortable now, struggling on their own,” she said.