Veteran Nollywood actress Chinyere Wilfred has opened up about the changing landscape of parenting and marriage in today’s society, drawing from personal experience and her role in the hit TV series Sands of Time.

In an interview with The Nation, Wilfred expressed deep concern over the growing number of failed marriages and shifting family values, attributing much of the instability to the rise of Gen Z culture and a departure from traditional norms.

“Parents of this generation are Gen Z parents,” she began. “Back in the day, our parents wouldn’t do most of the things we see today. Look at what is happening to marriages now you buy aso ebi and before you blink, they’ve broken up. We were not like that before. I’ve been married for over 30 years and I’m still happily married.”

Wilfred, who plays the no-nonsense “Mama Bomboy” in Sands of Time, shared that working on the show made her re-examine her own parenting style. She admitted that portraying a strict African mother on screen made her realize how much she was mirroring that character in real life.

“While shooting, I saw myself in that character. I realized I was overreacting with my children. During the act, I didn’t notice it, but while watching the playback, I saw my faults,” she confessed.

“When I got home, I calmed down with my son, I won’t lie. Even now, at this time they say Gen Z this and that, he still can’t sleep out even though he is a graduate. I thought I was protecting them, but I was overprotecting them.”

According to Wilfred, Sands of Time offers important lessons, particularly for African mothers who may confuse love with excessive control.

“The series will teach mothers to listen more and loosen up,” she said. “It’s a wake-up call for many of us to reflect and adjust.”

As a mother and veteran actress, Wilfred hopes the message resonates with parents navigating today’s evolving family dynamics reminding them that love, trust, and balance are key to raising emotionally healthy children.