| Hosting
a Party
• Plan the activity with your teenager and discuss who is to be
invited as well as responsibilities, understandings and expectations for
hosting a party.
• Prohibit the use of alcohol and drugs.
• Encourage small, informal gatherings. For larger parties, written
invitations discourage uninvited guests. Keep in mind that invitations
sent via e-mail can be easily forwarded to numerous individuals.
• Establish the starting and ending times of the party.
• Plan the event around a specific activity, such as skating, swimming,
a sporting event, movie or cookout.
• Reassure parents that you will be home during the party and will
regularly circulate.
• For a large party, consider hiring an off-duty police officer
or a responsible young adult to help with parking and to turn away uninvited
guests.
• Consider co-hosting a party with other parents or inviting other
parents to help chaperone
• Discuss ground rules in advance with your teenager, including
what behavior is unacceptable Decide how these rules will be conveyed
to the guests.
• Contact the parents of a teen who is breaking the rules and ask
them to pick up their child.
• Establish which areas of the house and grounds are off limits.
Be aware that the yard and garage are potential problem areas, and check
these areas frequently.
• Make it clear that anyone who leaves the party will not be allowed
to return. Teens sometimes leave drugs or alcohol outside the house or
property.
• Have a responsible adult at the entrance/exit door.
• As a courtesy, notify neighbors in advance of a large party.
|
Attending a Party
• Anticipate situations which might occur at parties and discuss specific
ways of handling them with your teen.
• Obtain the telephone number, and address of the location of the
gathering and ask your teenager to call if there is a change. Let your teen
know where you can be reached at all times. It's a two way street.
• Have a general idea of who the other teens are who will be attending
the party.
• Call the host parent to ask about parental supervision and guidelines.
Ask for assurance that alcohol and drugs will not be permitted. This is
not an issue of parent teen trust, but a recognition of the fact that there
are unsupervised parties in the community.
• Know the time frame of the party. Be sure your teen knows when she/he
is to be home.
• Coordinate transportation to and from the party with your teen and
other parents.
• For teens of driving age, know who will be driving your teenager
to and from the party. Ask your teen to contact you if there is a change
in transportation or if she/he is not coming directly home from the scheduled
party.
• Let your teen know that if she wishes to leave a party for any reason,
including the presence of alcohol or drugs, that she can call you, another
designated adult, or Safe Rides (869.8445) Have an understanding with your
teen that there will be no questions asked and that she will not be grounded
or prevented from going to future parties.
• Be aware or have your teen awaken you when she/he arrives home Be
alert to symptoms of drug and alcohol use
• If your teen is staying overnight with a friend, check the friend's
curfew time to make sure it is consistent with your standards. Consider
asking your teen to call you upon return to the friend's house. |
Parent
and Teen Cooperation
• Always know how and where to reach each other.
• Be awake or ask to be awakened when your teenager comes home at
night. This can be an excellent opportunity for open communication.
• Don't hesitate to set a curfew, suggested ending times for teen
events are as follows:
7th grade students: 10 PM
8th grade students: 10:30 PM
9th grade students: 11 PM
10th grade students: 11:30 PM
11th & 12th grade students: 12 midnight
• According to the Greenwich Police
Department, the risk of being hit by a drunk driver increases after 1
AM due to early morning bar closings.
Further Suggestions
• Alcohol is often brought to parties in soft drink cans or water
bottles, etc. Consider supplying the beverages and discourage guests from
bringing bags or backpacks
• Include your teenagers in gatherings where they can see adults
having a good time without alcohol.
• When you go away for a stretch of time, have a responsible house
sitter in order to prevent impromptu, unsupervised parties.
• Prepare your teenager for the possibility that uninvited guests
may arrive when you are away. Your teen should know where to reach you,
another responsible adult or the police.
• You may want to lock the liquor cabinet when you are away and
do not leave liquor in open areas, such as the garage or refrigerator.
• Get to know the parents of your teenager's friends. Friendly,
supportive relationships among parents are invaluable. |