Prom Tips for Parents

Prom night 2013 is coming up next week and it is sure to be a wonderful evening for all involved. As exciting as prom night is, it can be stressful for parents. As is always the case with prom night, there will be a lot of teens on the road next Saturday night as well as attending prom after-parties following the dance. These tips, from will help you ensure a safe, worry-free evening:

• Make sure your child has a plan for the evening and that you know it.
  
• Know all of the "hot spot" destinations.
  
• Take stock of the alcohol in your home.
  
• Know who is driving -- if it's a limo, check the policy on allowing alcohol in the vehicle.
  
• Discuss the school's prom rules with your child and the consequences of violating them.
  
• Encourage seatbelt use -- the best accessory!
  
• Do not rent hotel rooms for prom-goers.
  
• Communicate with other parents and school officials.
  
• Stay up until your prom-goer returns home.

If you are one of the brave families hosting a prom after-party, here are some tips for you to keep in mind as you are hosting a group of teens at your home: 

Make it clear that you won't allow gate-crashers. Otherwise, the party could grow out of control. If an invited guest has been drinking when he or she arrives at the party, call his or her parents to come pick him or her up.

Get advance agreement with your teen on the party rules, such as no drinking or drugs, no smoking, no leaving the party and then returning, and no turning off the lights or using rooms that you've declared off-limits.

Greet guests at the door. Your teen will want you to keep a low profile, but you need to circulate. Watch for large bags in which kids might sneak alcohol. Serve food in small quantities so you can use the excuse of replenishing supplies to keep an eye on the festivities.

Check your yard periodically. If you have a large number of guests, invite a few other parents, both to keep you company (and awake all night!) and to help keep order. It's also smart to alert your neighbors.

Do not serve alcohol. This should go without saying, but some parents assume that high-school seniors will inevitably drink on prom night and feel it's better for them to do it under parental supervision. This overlooks the fact that serving alcohol to minors is illegal and that you can be found criminally or civilly liable if anyone at the party gets hurt while on your property or after they leave.

If the party is at someone else's house, call the host parent in advance to find out the ground rules. Find out when the party will end and who will be chaperoning. If your child has more than one party invitation on prom night, it's safest to have her pick one for the evening and not party hop.