Everybody loves a great party. We love to celebrate birthdays, holidays, milestones, victories, or we just love to hang out with our friends.
Years ago when I had to go out of town for one day meeting, I left my oldest teen in charge of the household. He was nineteen and college bound. And my guys never broke the rules. They were trustworthy. I’d be back in 24 hours. What could possibly happen in 24 hours? But when I arrived home, I knew immediately that there had been party. Our home was spotless. Seriously, spotless. And if you have teens, you know that never happens. No dishes by the dishwasher that needed to be loaded. They were actually in the dishwasher. No shoes or clothes thrown around. No potato chip bags or soda cans on the end tables. Nothing. Nothing, but a slightly sticky wood floor. They were busted.
I think it’s universal. When the parents are gone – it’s party time. But in today’s world, the consequences of a party can last a lifetime. Unsupervised teen parties can lead to a lot trouble. Not only for the teens, but also for us, the parents. We are liable for anything that happens. And you probably already know that almost all of unsupervised parties include alcohol and illicit drugs. What usually happens is that inviting a few friends over escalates to a huge party when the word gets out. And others usually bring in the alcohol and drugs.
We all know that drinking and doing drugs can lead to death. Alcohol toxicity and getting behind the wheel after drinking can cause fatal accidents. So what do we do as parents or grandparents?
- If your daughter or granddaughter is invited to a party, make a call to the parent of the teen hosting the party. Make sure they will be home. Ask if they allow alcohol or not. You’d be surprised to find out that they may allow it.
- Have a no ask, no questions party pick up policy. Give her the opportunity to call you at anytime if she feels unsafe.
- Talk with her about the dangers of leaving a drink unsupervised. Anyone can spike her drink without her knowing it.
- Lock up all medications. Subscription medications are becoming the new addiction. I’ll be blogging about that later.
- Talk to your daughter and granddaughter. Even if you think she doesn’t listen to you. She does. And she’ll remember your words.
“Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.”
Psalm 71:18
Terry Squires is a veteran author and creator of many gift products for teens and adults. She is the author/creator of the bestselling TodaysGirls.com series of twelve mysteries and a journal for teen girls. She also authored the Communicate Christ series, God’s Stories-My First Thoughts, Bible Stories for Bedtime and now introduces the ONE Impact Bible Bible published by Zondervan.
In addition to a busy writing schedule, Terry speaks nationally and mentors thousands of teen girls on her online ministry, TodaysGirls.com. She is a BSN graduate of Valparaiso University and is a RN. Terry lives in Nashville, Tennessee and is married to Ted Squires. Together, they have four grown sons, three grandsons, and a boston terrier named, Reagan.
Learn more about the talented author Terry Squires
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