Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
As a follow up to the teens and alcohol thread I wanted to post an anecdote that my son related to me.
My son is 16 and junior in high school. Saturday was homecoming at his school. One of the boys in school sold tickets to a party at his home. The ticket fees were to cover the cost of refreshments. His parents were home.
My son ultimately decided not to go to this party. He never asked me if he could go. He just decided not to go. I didn't even find out about it until this morning when one of his friends called to tell him about the evening's events. When I asked him he told me that he knew there would be at least a thousand dollars worth of booze there (maybe he was exaggerating, maybe it included food) and that the evening was destined to end with the police.
Well-he was right. Five girls wound up at the hospital with alcohol poisoning. One boy wound up arrested for mouthing off to the police. The host parents were arrested.
SO-those of you thinking of hosting a party so that the kids are safe under your roof. Please think again. Any gathering with lots of 16-18 year olds drinking is bound to end badly. There is no way to adequately supervise kids this age when they start drinking.
The parents are to blame here. I get so ticked off at other adults thinking it is ok to make alcohol available to my kids. Here in GA several parents have done the same thing, and they think because they take all the car keys at the beginning of the night, it's all right.
Notice to parents of parties my kids "might" attend: if you serve alcohol, and my kids partake, I WILL hold YOU responsible.
Congrats to your son for bucking the trend Momma Bear. Now my underage sons are off to college, and so far, so good. My biggest issue is going to be over the holidays, when the recently divorced mother of my middle son's good friend holds her annual bash, with plenty of beer. Middle is 19 now, and has to deal with this on his own. I managed to keep them from drinking through the high school years, hopefully they will show the same restraint your son managed.
It goes to show that kids KNOW how/who will allow alcohol. This is where parenting is hardest. A parent has a limited time to instill honor and respect and CONFIDENCE in their child. I say confidence because it takes a secure child to buck the trend and not partake when it is around. And if you sit there and think 'not my child' or 'not anyone my child knows' you're kidding yourself. Confidence does not include the fluff that kids are given for participation. Real confidence comes from the child being taught consequences.
My son is the same age as the OP's. He has told me about convos he's had with his friends. He has asked them why they drink. Their response is to relax and be comfortable in their own skin. Hmmm. His response to them when they offer alcohol is that he doesn't need it to have fun or be comfortable with who he is.
SO-those of you thinking of hosting a party so that the kids are safe under your roof. Please think again. Any gathering with lots of 16-18 year olds drinking is bound to end badly. There is no way to adequately supervise kids this age when they start drinking.
I wouldnt hesitate to host a party for 16-18 year olds. My husband and I are not those parents in your story. I would not allow alcohol at my house. I would be wise enough to monitor and search teen guests and call parents to pick up any teens who were no longer welcome at my party due to inappropriate choices.
Those parents in your story KNEW alcohol was at their party. They probably provided it. If they didn't provide it, they darn well should have been alert and called parents of any children who appeared to be drunk at their house. Shame on them. They deserved to be arrested. The parents of those children who ended up in the hospital for alcohol poisoning will probably sue them too. They'll deserve that too.
Well-I don't think the alcohol is the only reason my son stayed away. He said that initially he was going to ask to go. Some friends had hired a limo for the night and he was going ask about going in the limo with them and sleeping at his friend's house.
However, he heard that some kids from a rival school would be there and his team is scheduled to play them on Saturday. The kids in question are former students who transferred so my son felt there was the potential for a huge drunken brawl which did not materialize (although the boys in question did bring the alcohol poisoned girls).
My son is not an angel but he does not want to be in a situation where his friends get backed into a corner and he is present at some alcohol induced brawl. He is a football player, but he is a LITTLE football player (5'7", 150 lb) and he doesn't want to wind up in a coma either.
I wouldnt hesitate to host a party for 16-18 year olds. My husband and I are not those parents in your story. I would not allow alcohol at my house. I would be wise enough to monitor and search teen guests and call parents to pick up any teens who were no longer welcome at my party due to inappropriate choices.
I would have a party for 16-18 year olds also. But I wouldn't provide them with booze.
I usually have a pack of kids at my house since we have a nice media room with a big screen tv and popcorn machine. They eat, play video games, watch sports and play pool basketball (if they are my oldest's friends) or they play music in the music room (if they are my middle's friends).
In the past thread parents had commented that it was ok with them if their kids drank as long as they weren't driving. My comments were intended to be a warning to parents providing liquor, not to parents who host any parties at all. Instead of the party described in my post my oldest wound up going to a get together where the kids watched the Miami/FSU game, and ate pizza.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hopes
Those parents in your story KNEW alcohol was at their party. They probably provided it. If they didn't provide it, they darn well should have been alert and called parents of any children who appeared to be drunk at their house. Shame on them. They deserved to be arrested. The parents of those children who ended up in the hospital for alcohol poisoning will probably sue them too. They'll deserve that too.
According to my son the child was COLLECTING MONEY for refreshments. Can you even believe that? It just sounds crazy to me.
I am sure that the girls who wound up with alcohol poisoning did not even know the host's son. They came with some boys who knew the host because they are former students at my son's school.
According to my son the child was COLLECTING MONEY for refreshments. Can you even believe that? It just sounds crazy to me.
That seems to be the standard at high school parties. Rather than being BYOB, because most of the kids can't buy it on their own, they pitch in money and have someone they know who is over 21 buy it all for them.
That seems to be the standard at high school parties. Rather than being BYOB, because most of the kids can't buy it on their own, they pitch in money and have someone they know who is over 21 buy it all for them.
The parents hosting the party bought the booze. Crazy.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
