Parental Guidance should be taken seriously

There is nothing as humiliating as sitting next to a ten-year-old while you’re watching an adult movie or an explicit music video. Some parents bring their children to late night concerts just because they failed to get someone to babysit them. I understand that international artists do not come everyday and therefore you might not get another chance to watch them do what they do best but that should not be the reason you ignore your duties as a parent.I found it quite awkward to queue with children also waiting to get tickets for the Elephant Man (a sexually explicit Jamaican dancehall artist) concert. One is forced to swallow the urge to yell at them and tell them to go home. Parents and event organisers need to address this issue if only to preserve the good morals of our children.Mark Davis Genza, the Managing Director of Show Time, a Kigali-based events company, said that it’s a huge issue. “It’s not just shows but some parents take their children to hotspots such as bars and proceed into the wee hours of the night. Parents should be more serious about which places they should or should not take their children,” Genza explains. He said that shows meant for revelers above 18 years of age need to take the issue of identification seriously. “We discussed this last year with the stake holders and mayors and agreed that for any show, in order to restrict underage access, promoters need to have a team at the entrance that asks for identity cards whenever they suspect a person is underage,” Genza discloses. According to Tijarat Kabendera, also known as TK, a radio and television presenter with Rwanda Broadcasting Corporation, parents should take their children their favorite artists’ concert. “The only time a parent shouldn’t take a child for a concert is if the age restriction is emphasised. There is really no harm letting a child go and watch their favorite artists perform,” says TK. She said that local artists are an inspiration to most of these youngsters. I believe that parents should first inquire about the concerts they send their children to and find out whether it is appropriate for them. Anything else would come in conflict with society’s need to raise upright and moral citizens.