The after-prom party has taken a twist in recent years as parents have teamed up to sponsor alcohol-and drug-free celebrations in their home or other venues. The challenge is to make the party so entertaining that teens will want to attend. If you are planning to host an ‘After Prom Party/Breakfast’ here’s a helpful list of Do’s and Don’ts a few parents offered Wilson Living…
Do’s
- Buy LOTS of food
- Talk to as many parents ahead of time to reassure them you will be there and to get their expectations
- Get their (the parents) phone #s (home and cell) and email addresses
- Label all car keys before having the kids put them all in a basket (and take ALL keys even of kids who didn’t drive– they sometimes “trade” keys)
- Go over the ground rules with the kids before the party begins. It is a NO-ALCOHOL party, and any found/seen will be confiscated, parents will be notified to pick you up from the party
- Have lots of pillows and blankets
- Have fun! Be a parent but not a policeman
- Have only one brand of water bottles that you put out with your sodas, and make it an off brand
- Carry the kid’s overnight bags into your house. The unduly heavy ones (with contraband) can be easily identified
- Have the adults sleep in shifts, so you can get a little sleep and always have an adult awake
Dont’s
- Expect to get any sleep
- Put out orange juice early that is meant for breakfast (it may get spiked)
- Turn down any offers of food from other parents
- Turn down any offers from other parents to keep you company during any part of the night
- Rent any movies or videogames without your kid expressly asking for it or they will think whatever you got is lame
- Let them close any doors, except for the assigned boy/girl sleeping areas (and check them)
- Embarrass your kid too badly! (No matter how hard you try, something is bound to embarrass them)
- Be surprised that the kids think they can pull one over on you. They forget we all were young once
- Be surprised to find out that it is sometimes the girls who try to sneak in the contraband
- Run outside barefoot the next morning without watching out for rocks or garden edging (‘spoken from experience!’ said one Wilson Living reader)
