By Ngozi Ezenwa, Heartmenders Magazine Contributor, Africa –
Have you noticed how some little things in life matter most? Being disciplined, showing courtesy, being kind, showing respect, perseverance, humility, and being diligent may seem small, but they have a strong impact on human relationships and societal building.
How are you prepared to apply, detect, and learn those little things that matter in life? These are things that help us excel in our human relationships and professional work. When we implement them, they can help us uphold high ethics in both our work and social circles.
The soft skills needed to collaborate, network, and maintain a positive attitude can create a great work environment and bring harmony in the family setting. But these skills many do not know are developed from childhood in homes. A simple smile can break down barriers and foster camaraderie. Yet, some people often avoid creating a better workspace. They cite, “it’s not my job” or “it’s not my responsibility.” The way we are trained and the environment we grew up in can shape how we learn to smile or influence us to withhold it, even when we know how to give it.
In this article, I want to discuss what I believe can help children develop the ethics that will aid them in imbibing and maintaining those little things that matter, involving a child’s development, and how to train them to do so. It involves things that help them develop discipline and a sense of duty, and teamwork, helping them grow into wholesome adults. Children need to grow as children so their emotional resilience can develop naturally. And those who missed out later found that these are ingredients of development. They are the keys to discipline in any individual’s work and achievements.
To nurture a child’s growth, provide key ingredients for self-discovery and discipline that would lead them to success later in life. Missing out on these key areas can harm an individual’s work ethic and future achievements.
If we don’t teach our children how to develop these values, they may lack the discipline and character to succeed in life. As adults, we must pay attention to those little things that matter. We must teach them to future generations and use them to mentor others. This will help our children become capable, caring adults. And those we mentor are also impacted in a very positive way, which advances society in the long run.
Focusing on households a little more. Children must learn many things at home, not at school. It will help their development and exploration.
A child should learn some basic household chores as they grow up. The chores should suit the child’s age, health, and abilities.
And depending on the children’s parents as well. Once they are old enough, get them involved and teach them the necessity of such chores. Forcing them is not the best training; over time, they learn to do the basics.
In some areas or different households, they’ve trained children to see some of those chores as a game. They want to wash plates, clean their rooms, and cook with mom.
When these children grow up, they will do household work. They won’t look for domestic workers to help.
In a way, it is a very good way of instilling discipline in children. They carry it into life, and you see it in their work performance in adulthood.
Some of those who did not get such discipline are now seen in their adult work life. Many of them skive work, leaving the job to those who do their work without looking back at the skivers. Some may call it laziness, but I see it as a lack of training or discipline instilled while growing up. It is eventually seen in their adult life.
Like it or hate it, discipline is for all.
Work ethic applies to all. If you ignore those ethics, then skivers will take advantage of it. Workers and the organization must follow the guidelines to prevent this.
For me, as a child growing up, we all had chores assigned by mom, and we had to do them.
Getting water to fill containers for those who grew up in Africa. There, a lack of necessities is a problem. Efforts to provide these amenities often fail due to mismanagement.
Black-and-white photo of a mother and daughter doing household chores outdoors. Photo credit: Pexels.com
We fill up water containers. Now, in 2026, we still are. What is the problem? Pipe-borne water is still not available. Unless you have to dig up boreholes, but those chores helped us grow well and learn endurance. Some children entered the bush to harvest firewood for cooking.
As a child, I learned to clean the floors with soap and water. After that, we had to kneel and apply red polish to the red floors. We used Mansion polish on the ordinary floors. It gave them a shine and the red floors a new look if some of you remember Mansion polish back in the day.
We did this weekly and continued until we left the house for boarding school. We had domestic workers, but everyone had their job to do. We were taught how to save money. We were assigned tasks we did together as children – learning teamwork.
Years later, I moved overseas to explore, adventure, and study.
One day, I found myself in a place that required me to do cleaning work. The little things I did as a child growing up helped bring out real discipline and endurance later in life.
After a short while, I decided to become a care worker. It was my first time doing that work. I’m sharing this experience because it showed how little things that mattered had a long-lasting impact on me.
A worker taught me something from her experience. It stuck with me for years. It is worth emulating, and others can learn from little things that matter.
One of the care workers assigned to me was a young black woman. I was a student then. So, she took me to one of the clients she was looking after that morning to teach me what I must do once they start assigning me my own clients. She started by saying, “When you have these clients, e.g., this gentleman needs your help with some tasks. Please hold him with care and explain how to care for them. In that they are older people, you’ve got to be gentle. So, this gentleman…”
That is, her client she was training me with, demonstrating…
What amazes me is the beautiful voice and word usage of “this gentleman.” It was used every time she referred to the elderly client.
All that kept pouring out of her mouth was “gentleman, handle gently, they are in a vulnerable state…”
And that was my first time hearing calling an older man a gentleman. I had only heard it in social gatherings where “ladies and gentlemen” applies to all, and now a trainer was using it to refer to an elderly man she was caring for. The courtesy, the respect, and kind acts were subtle but impactful.
She didn’t tell me what to use- the word gentleman- but I learned from her manner of approach to that older man. Her diligence, commitment, integrity, and humility were oozing out. I picked up this attitude of how to address and relate with fellow humans—little things that matter so much—courtesy and kindness. Please teach that to your children as well, with your own examples. Children will see and emulate.
To be a good mentor, we must develop certain qualities. And it starts from the beginning. Life is filled with many ups and downs. So, we need to train our own children to face it. No matter how hard and long we secure them, they must grow to leave the home one day. They must grow to face the world alone without you. They will grow to collaborate and work with others. They will grow to contribute whatever they have to humanity. It is good that we equip them with appropriate training and discipline.
We also need to help those under our care as good mentors. Help train them well and equip them to do better in whatever field you are in. Give it your all. Teaching or showing the right discipline is important.
Discipline helps in work, self-discovery, and self-development. If you miss instilling discipline in your child while training them, money can’t fix it. And it may make them suffer consequences later in life for a very long time unless they are one of those who have explored and developed to a better self. And for one, please let the discipline you learned work fully in you; if not, you may face issues to address later in life due to a lack of self-restraint and the requisite attitude that makes working with others professionally smooth.
And lastly, for little things that matter, make sure you develop the skills that would keep you from ever depending on others for things that bring you happiness or peace.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated from its original format published in 2025.
Ngozi Ezenwa is a writer. Her work comprises children’s and adult fiction, poetry, and short stories. Ngozi Ezenwa is a nurse and a private nutrition consultant. She studied Food Science/Nutrition at London Southbank University. Then, she took a postgraduate course in Nursing Studies at King’s College London. Until 2018, she took a break from her work to concentrate on her creative writing. She is currently writing four short storybooks. Besides that, she likes cooking and processing food. Contact her at ngozi118@gmail.com or editors@heartmendersmagazine.com.