Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu made a lot of sense when he urged parents and guardians to place social gatherings further down on their list of priorities, and to put their phones away!
It will prick some nerves, and perhaps force many parents to rethink their priorities.
It may also not ruffle some parents who may continue doing what they have been doing so far.
He made the remarks in his address to the 2025 Nadroga Arya College passing-out parade in Sigatoka on Friday.
Parents, he said, should be there for their children, and not only when something came up such as the cadet training and passout!
Children, he said, need their presence, constantly.
“We must build significant relationships where they are comfortable enough to come to us with their problems, and we can help them learn from them.
Building significant relationships with children during these modern times, he said, was important, especially when technology and the internet were influencing and eroding behaviour, not only of our young generation, but the older people as well.
“The world we grew up in is far more different and challenging than the world our children are growing up in,” he said.
Crime statistics, he said, continue to show more young people engaged in criminal activities, and the absence of proper guidance was a contributing factor.
“And we see that in our crime statistics as more children are becoming offenders of serious crimes.
“Sexual offences, drugs, assaults, robberies, children are no longer not part of the statistics.”
A common reasoning, he noted, was the absence of a trusted adult figure in their lives who can consistently provide guidance and counselling in their lives.
“Put your phones down, place social gatherings further down in your list of priorities and put your children first.”
It is good to hear Mr Tudravu lay it down for parents.
Far too many children are now left with mobile phones, and data, and left under no supervision.
And far too many parents are engaged in social gatherings, and take on many other responsibilities that eat into their time with their children.
We must consider this and reflect on how we manage our time with our children.
What Mr Tudravu has raised here isn’t just about screen time or over-socialising. It’s about re-evaluating how we spend our time and energy. As we have raised above, far too many children today are left with mobile phones and internet access, unsupervised and unguided. Far too parents are consumed by work, social obligations, or digital distractions of their own.
Mr Tudravu’s message is a much-needed wake-up call. It asks all of us, especially parents and guardians, to reflect deeply on our daily choices. Let us reflect on whether we are truly present in our children’s lives? Let’s ask the big question, are we setting aside time for conversations, shared experiences, and emotional support?
