In a recent Monday broadcast of the Honest Bunch Podcast, Bovi shared his perspective on parenting, stating his opposition to corporal punishment, regardless of the child's actions..
He described an incident in which his son damaged three televisions due to frustration, advocating for parental engagement through understanding and communication rather than corporal punishment.
Bovi's remarks have sparked a public discourse on X (formerly Twitter), with numerous Nigerians sharing their perspectives.
Chinaza Victoria tweeting as #love_Victoria17 expressed concern about children acting out in public settings.
“Imagine being a teacher and having a student or pupil like Bovi’s son? The kind that thinks he is permitted to act rashly because he is angry, These are attitudes that make teachers fed up, and the parents come to fight,” she wrote.
Mazi Nathan, tweeting as #rukky_nate, criticised Bovi’s approach, arguing that a lack of discipline can have damaging effects on a child’s development.
Nathan wrote, “One of the damaging things you can do as a parent is failing to discipline your child when they deserve it. What do you mean your son throws stuff and breaks your TV when he is angry and you let him walk without reproach?”
In a related development, another user, identified as @softhardguy, corroborated Bovi's opposition to corporal punishment while highlighting the critical role of instructing children on the concept of consequences.
He wrote, “I don’t advocate for beating children either. But I advocate for teaching children about cause and effect, about how their actions have consequences. Those are moments he would have used to teach the kid that we don’t throw things when angry and help build the child’s character.
“Please don’t say ‘leave him, na him pikin,’ because that child will not just stop at throwing things in his house; he will be unleashed on society.”
Mfon Abia, a Bovi supporter tweeting as #PrettyMfon, posited that communication difficulties may better explain Bovi's son's behavior.
“The behaviour his child displayed is the behaviour of children with special needs, and hitting them is not the solution. Kids with special needs have temper tantrums and meltdowns. What they need is behavioural therapy, not beating. It is the best approach,” she explained.
Following recent criticism, Bovi also utilized X.com on Tuesday to engage with his detractors.
He wrote, “I don go trigger angry people because of the phrase I used, ‘For the fun of it.’ Make una no vex,” he wrote.
“In trying to colour my point, I’ve offended a shallow mob. You don’t have to agree with me. If you have children you want to beat, enjoy. My papa no physically beat me, and I turned out almost ok.”
Bovi elaborated that his son's speech impediment and communication difficulties are gradually improving.
“My child had a speech impediment and a communication problem that’s only just starting to improve,” he added, defending his decision to approach parenting with empathy rather than punishment.