Waje: My daughter once saw me drunk — it wasn’t a great sight

Waje, the R&B singer, says her daughter once saw her in a drunken state — and the experience changed her lifestyle choices.

The singer made the disclosure in a chat with Ebuka Obi-Uchendu on Rubbin Minds.

Waje, whose real name is Aituaje Iruobe, narrated how she took one drink too much after attending an event and ended up bumping into her daughter, Emerald Iruobe, who opened the door on her arrival at home.

“In my own life, for a long time, whomever I was in a relationship with was not allowed to come to my house. You have to set boundaries. Parenting is sacred. Your children don’t do what you tell them but what they see,” she said.

“Parenting is different for single mums than single dads in the industry. There are not a lot of single dads who have their kids living with them. There’s a huge difference there. My child is there 2-4-7.

“The one time my daughter saw me drunk was the reason I checked myself. It wasn’t a great sight. It was in 2013 when I got home after an event. You know how you do champaign here, one glass there.

“My daughter was the one who opened the door when I got home. That is not somewhere any parent should be.”

On how being a single mother affected her career, Waje said there are deals she turned down due to perception.

“When I had Emerald, she didn’t stay with me until 13. In parenting, there’s never really a handbook,” she added.

“With your own experience, you want to make sure you lay the right foundation in character and principles. Music; acting is what I do but a parent is what I am. You just embody it. Looking at her in her final year, I’m like wow.

“There were choices I couldn’t make, things I couldn’t do. The firsts thing you’re thinking about is your child. Even some brands you can’t work with because you have to be seen as a family brand, whether you’re single or not.”