When a child discovers a musician he or she enjoys, the child, especially if a teenager and preteen, will ask parents if he or she can attend the musician’s concert if one comes to a nearby area. After the child asks, the parents have to come to a decision about whether the concert is suitable for the child. One mother decided that her daughter’s desire to see Pink in concert was one she could accommodate by taking the 11-year-old girl to the concert herself.
That mother found herself in court because of that decision after the child’s father filed a claim in a New Jersey court that accused the woman of taking advantage of her parental discretion. Although this case didn’t take place in Texas, it might interest some parents here who are considering making big decisions like taking a preteen to a concert.
According to his 37-page decision, the judge presiding over this case didn’t find any evidence of bad parenting. Instead, he noted that Pink’s works might be suggestive but that doesn’t mean they are inappropriate for preteens. He noted that the ultimate result of the concert was that the preteen had a good time attending her first concert with her mother.
Before coming to his ruling, the judge considered the mother’s reasoning for taking her child to the December 2013 concert. He also spoke to the child privately. He said that the mother’s decision to attend the concert with her child didn’t place the child in harm’s way and that it wasn’t bad parenting.
This case highlights how difficult making decisions can be when you are a divorced parent. The case is also a good reminder that not all parents will make the same decisions, so it is important to consider the child’s best interests when making any decisions for your child.
Source: The Washington Post, “Judge: Attending Pink concert didn’t harm New Jersey girl,” April. 25, 2015
