This time of year, teenagers are going to be invited to more parties than usual. Either their friend will be having a birthday party or someone will be hosting a Halloween bash, but either way, you are going to be feeling the pressure from your teen to let him or her attend the parties to which they are invited. Letting your teens attend a party is not a bad thing in and of itself; what can be bad is not knowing where they are going to be, who will be there at the parties with them, and what kind of supervision the parties will have.
If your teen is asking to attend a party this fall, there are many things you can do to make sure he or she is not just sneaking out with a group of friends to get into trouble.
Know Your Teen s Friends and Their Parents
One of the best ways to make sure your teen stays out of trouble is to get to know his or her friends and their parents. When you know the parents of the teens your son or daughter hangs out with you have an advantage. Even if you just make a simple phone call and say, Hi, I m John s dad and our kids are spending a lot of time together at each other s homes. Just thought I d introduce myself and make sure you know how to get in touch with me in case you need to. When you establish a relationship with the parent of the teens your teen is friends with, you have a barometer you can use to determine if the party is one you should let your teen attend.
Set Clear Expectations
When your teen is being allowed to go to a party, you should make it clear what the expectations are for their behavior and choices. Make sure you discuss where your teen will be, how you will be able to reach him or her, what time curfew will be, and what your teen should do if there is not any adult supervision. If you are concerned about the adult supervision issue, but do not want to make your teen uncomfortable, call the host of the parties and offer to send something – extra drinks, hors d oeuvres – to say thank you for taking on a group of teens. It is a good way to check out the situation and make sure everything is on the up and up.
Talk About Trust
Let your teen know that you trust him or her to make good choices, that if he or she gets to one of the parties and something is not the way it should be, it is ok to call for a ride or come home – no questions asked. Don t expect your teen to want to tell you that there ended up being a bunch of alcohol at the party; just be happy and express your pride in your teen s decision to walk away from the pressure rather than succumb to it.
Author Resource:
Norbert Georget is an accomplished professional speaker, teen motivator and author of the book, No-Nonsense Parenting For Today’s Teenager – How To Feel Like A Good Parent Even When Your Teenager Hates You. To learn more go to http://www.parentingtodaysteenager.com/
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