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The Child You Do Not Know is a practical, evidence-backed guide for Nigerian parents of teenagers aged 12 to 18. Drawing on developmental psychology, family systems research, and the lived reality of Nigerian families at home and across the diaspora, author Chiedozie Mvula examines the five fault lines in the Nigerian parent-teenager relationship — and shows exactly what to do about each one. The book covers: ✔ Why Nigerian teenagers go silent — and what the brain science says about it ✔ The weight of expectation and what it costs teenagers who carry it without being asked ✔ Screens, social media, and why confiscating phones is the wrong response ✔ Peer pressure, belonging, and how to build identity security at home ✔ The entrepreneurial gap — why qualifications alone are no longer enough ✔ The specific challenges facing diaspora families and children navigating two worlds ✔ Mental health, grief, and the losses Nigerian families carry without naming them This Is Not a Book About What Nigerian Parents Are Doing Wrong Nigerian parenting produced something remarkable — resilient, ambitious, community-minded people who have made their mark on every continent. That is not the question. The question is whether the love can find new expression. Whether it can become curious as well as protective, flexible as well as firm, willing to be surprised by who this child is turning out to be. This book is about what becomes possible when understanding replaces assumption — and when the child sitting across from you at dinner finally stops being a stranger.