Safety During Prom Season

It's prom season and time to talk with your teens and other parents about safety. They are probably as cautious as you are. Teens like to stay out all night. If you are not comfortable about the idea of hotels, maybe a parent can host an "all-night" party for some of the teens. The young people can change into jeans, dance, and watch videos through the wee hours. Serve a fancy breakfast in the morning.

Caution against drinking - So many deaths of teens result from motor vehicle accidents and many of these crashes are alcohol-related, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Warn your teen about drinking and using drugs. If you choose to hold an after-prom party, make sure no one brings alcohol or drugs into your home.

Don't leave beverages unsupervised - Make sure girls are told not to leave their drink where someone can slip a drug into it. The date rape drug Rohypnol can leave girls helpless to resist rape and unable to recall what happened.

Arrange transportation - Limousines are expensive, but a safe means of transportation. If this is out of your budget, make sure there is a designated driver for the evening.

Be available - Make sure your teen knows where to reach you throughout the evening. If you plan to be out, carry a cell phone on you at all times.

As parents, we will try to run all these tips by the kids and hope they will follow them. But what works best in the long run is the method of helping teens arrive at their own decisions - the right decisions. If we force our kids to do things our way, they learn something about us. If we allow them the time and the space to make up their own minds, they learn something about themselves.

Sources:

Uncommon Sense For Parents With Teenagers by Michael Riera, Ph.D.

A Parent's Guide To The Teen Years by Susan Panzarine

Parenting Teens With Love & Logic by Foster Cline, M.D. & Jim Fay