Imagine the perfect night for your teen. Does it include hotel rooms, casual sex with multiple partners, alcohol and drugs and drunk-driving? And to think, you spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,000 for this special night for your teen.
Believe it or not, this is what often happens on prom night. Parents can’t be clueless. Maybe you have a daughter who is preparing for the prom. She has most likely been talking about what she will wear, who she will go with and where they will go to dinner. But it’s all the things that aren’t being talked about that could turn a perfectly good prom night into a real nightmare.
Many of today’s teens feel a tremendous amount of pressure to fit in with the crowd. Before you decide that your teen doesn’t run in this kind of company, don’t be so sure. Even the smartest and most sensible teens have found themselves caught up in situations on prom night that they weren’t prepared to handle.
While teens are anticipating all the hoopla that prom night brings, parents may want to be more in tune with the practical realities of a night fraught with potential for uncertainty.
According to the Department of Transportation, prom nights are among the most lethal for young people. More than 5,000 teens are injured or killed in a typical prom weekend. Most of these accidents are alcohol related. Whether your teen is drinking or not, if they are out on the road, they are at risk.
Renting hotel rooms is another potential issue. What possible good could come from your high school junior or senior renting a hotel room?
For most teens, prom night is the biggest night of the year and they want everything to be just right. The temptation for risky behavior is great. Parents have a huge responsibility to equip their teens with good information, the 4-1-1 if you will, so that on prom night your teen doesn’t have a 9-1-1. Don’t just pay for everything; prepare your teen for this most important night.
Prom Checklist:
- Have a plan for the evening. Ask for specifics: where will they be, and when and with whom will they be going.
- Be specific with your expectations.
- Discuss the risks of under-age drinking and/or drinking and driving. If your teen gets stopped for drinking and driving and is convicted, he/she will automatically lose his/her license for a year.
- If you are throwing an after prom party, remember it is illegal to serve alcohol to minors. Parents are subject to being arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a minor for each child present at the party.
- Designate specific times for your teen to check-in throughout the evening.
- Talk through a backup plan just in case your teen ends up in a difficult situation.
As a parent, you want to make sure your teen is equipped to handle themselves by making responsible decisions—on prom night or any other night—for the rest of their lives.
Copyright ©2010 First Things First
