Is taking your daughter to a Pink concert bad parenting?

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Do you think it's bad parenting to take an 11-year-old girl to a Pink concert? Some do, and that's how the singer found herself tangled up in another family's custody battle.

New Jersey Superior Court Judge Lawrence R. Jones has had the final say on the situation, ruling that the mother in question "in no way, shape or form exceeded the boundaries of reasonable parental judgment" by attending the Pink concert with her daughter.

The judge went on to write in a 37-page explanation of his decision: "[The mother's] decision did not subject the child to any unreasonable risk of harm, or compromise [her] health, safety or welfare. To the contrary, when all the smoke from the custody litigation clears, it will be self-evident that all which happened here is that a young girl went to her first rock concert with her mother and had a really great time."

The woman's ex-husband had claimed Pink uses "lyrical profanities" and promotes "sexually suggestive themes and dance performances" in her music. The daughter, however, told her mom she was "dying" to see Pink in concert the mother watched the singer's live performances on YouTube and determined the performances featured "age-appropriate singing and dancing."

The judge went on to say:

"Perhaps most important, however, is the fact that [the daughter] enjoyed a parent/child night out together, sharing an experience which was clearly very important to the child in her young life. In this day and age, it is easy for parents to put off important bonding experiences with their children until a tomorrow which simply never comes. The positive value of this experience is not diluted in any fashion merely because there may have been some incidental curse words or allegedly suggestive themes during some of the songs at the concert."

Are you surprised by the ruling? I am a little bit, not because I think it's particularly bad parenting to take a tween to a concert, but by the judge's hell ya/carpe diem attitude about the whole thing. I would have thought he'd rule it not to be the kind of thing that would change a custody arrangement, but also not cheer it on.

Funnily enough, a year or two ago a Facebook acquaintance of mine got an earful from others upon announcing she'd snagged tickets to take her own daughter, who was in the same age-range as this girl, to a Pink concert. I've seen firsthand that the ex-husband in this case isn't alone in thinking it's an inappropriate choice.

For what it's worth I was a late bloomer regarding the music scene. My first concert was Bush at age 17 or 18. My eldest son is now 10 and hasn't yet expressed interest in going to a concert despite having recently discovered the joys of pop music on the radio. I hope it will be quite a few more years before he's "dying" to see a band live.

Join the conversation

What do you think of the judge's ruling? What was your first concert?

Photos: PR Photos