Prom season is upon us. Teenagers put a lot of effort into the planning for prom: getting the perfect outfit, getting their nails done and their hair done. They also make plans for their limo and dinner before the big dance.
For both of my daughters, prom was an exciting time. But as a mom, I did worry about their safety on prom night. I was relieved that they got a limo because I didn't have to worry about teenagers driving around and acting goofy.
Here are some tips for how to help keep your teen safe on prom night, The suggestions are from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, Arizona Affiliate.
1. Be sure you know your child’s complete itinerary for the evening, including who they will be with and phone numbers where they can be contacted.
2. Discuss the school’s prom rules regarding alcohol with your child and the consequences for violating these rules.
3. Determine a fair curfew that is based on your child’s previous history of responsibility.
4. Take stock of all the alcohol and prescription drugs in your home.
5. Do not rent hotel rooms for the after-party. If you suspect your child has booked a room, call local hotels and check for their reservation.
6. Communicate with other parents and school officials to create a unified force against alcohol and drugs.
7. Know who is driving and ensure the driver will remain sober for the entire evening.
8. Establish a couple of mandatory call-in times such as right after prom, from the after-party location and on their way home.
9. Give your child the unconditional option of calling you at any time for help or advice which includes picking them up if needed. Create a code word that your child can use to indicate that they need your assistance.
10. Talk to your child about the risks of alcohol and drug use. Kids who learn about the risks of drugs from their parents are up to half as likely to use drugs.
Lori Baker is mom to two daughters, 21 and 23 years old. She is
editor for the Valley and State section's Education and Environment pages in the Arizona Republic.
Great tips. I am copying
Great tips. I am copying this for my "for Later" file.
Lovemy4 is a discussion leader for North Central Phoenix, tired mother of 4 great kids and wife to one great husband.
our high school is a small
our high school is a small school and every year there are as many parents as kids at the prom. granted, we dont stay all night but it has become a tradition that the parents show up at the begining to see all the kids . they ahve a prom grand entrance where everyone marches in and they announce them. my son never wanted to go to prom becuase he is a tight wad ( a good thing) and never wanted to spend the money. so this, his senior year this is what he did. He bought groceries for me( i used to won a restaurant) and had me cook their dinner. we have a lovely patio area and we set up a formal table setting . i cooked their dinner and dad was the waiter. we dressed the part too. My sister works at a dealership and she rented a nice BMW and dressed as a chauffer and cmae and picked them up and drove them around. our town doesnt have amny hotels and the ones that we have are prety expensive. we hosted an after party at our house. we had 17 couples. we served snacks and soft dirnks and whoever wanted to stay overnight was welcome to providing they ahd parental permission. we had arranged for the girls to stay in one part of the house and the boys in another but we all ended up staying up all night. at 5 am i cooked a big breakfast and then everyone left. they wer to call home when they got there. this was a really nice slolution and we all had a good time looking at itures they took during the prom and talking. and it was safe. other than us havign to sleep most of the next day and beign exhuated, i felt this was a fun safe sloution. and i guess that the fact that my husband is a wrestling coach and i am the athletic trainer, made it an ok house to stay and party at.