Tbo Touch Urges Parents to Be Honest with Their Children

Tbo Touch, also known as Thabo Molefe, stresses the importance of honesty in parenting, particularly when raising boys. He advocates for a realistic approach to build resilience in children, sharing his own experiences as a father.

Tbo Touch, a renowned South African multi-media personality, recently shared his candid views on parenting, emphasizing the necessity for honesty, especially when raising boys. In a video shared with his followers, Touch recounted an experience with one of his sons to highlight his message.

“It is critical for parents who are raising boys to be very honest with their opinions… You know some of you are raising kids who are not good enough,” Touch asserted. He narrated attending his son’s choir performance and finding it lackluster. When his son sought his opinion, Touch didn’t sugarcoat his thoughts: “I said listen, I’m glad you don’t do this as your primary focus cos you really suck at it.”

Touch elaborated on the broader implications of his approach, suggesting that the world isn’t designed to raise men to be “soft.” He argued that boys need to be toughened up to handle life’s pressures effectively. “The reason why we have a lot of men on antidepressants, muscle relaxants, dealing with depression, they were not built enough to handle pressure,” he explained. “You got to accumulate enough resistance to deal with the pressures of life, especially when you are raising a man.”

The Metro FM presenter urged parents to instill resilience in their children by being forthright with them. “When the world tells them what they think, it will crash them,” he warned.

In the caption accompanying his video, Touch wrote: “The world, you know, isn’t all rainbows and butterflies like we often tell our kids. Raising boys is no walk in the park, my friend. It’s not just about showing up and getting a pat on the back. No one really gives a hoot about your participation; it’s all about being a winner or a loser, plain and simple. No more arguments needed. Parents, it’s important to be strong and strict with your sons, guiding them through their strengths and weaknesses. Personally, I’ve taught my boys to be absolute beasts in whatever they put their minds to! #whatatimetobealive.”

His forthright stance resonated with many of his social media followers. @missydube commented, “I’m raising boys, thanx for sharing..I thought I was a bad mum by being honest…💯.” Another user, @zeetakesnicepictures2, found the message both amusing and truthful, writing: “😢😂😅😂😢😅😂😅😂 I don’t know why I find this so funny and brutally honest at the same time 🤣.”

However, not all feedback was positive. @tsepogumbi offered a counterpoint, stating: “The best worst advice. Boys should be natured and cultured to be human. They need to be both strong and soft. Militant boys, on the contrary, grow up to be toxic, violent, and brutal to themselves when they experience failure.”

Touch’s perspective on parenting invites a broader conversation about the balance between nurturing and instilling toughness in children, highlighting the complexities of raising the next generation.