Prevention

Parties

Should you let your teen attend a party?
Follow your instincts as well as consider these guidelines:

Ask your child if the parents are going to be home. Let them know you will be calling the parents to insure they will be at chaperoning the party

Verify the occasion, location and that there will be appropriate adult supervision
Verify that there will be no alcohol or other drugs permitted
Offer assistance with chaperoning
Offer to bring food or beverages (this is a great ice-breaker if you don't know the other parents)
Verify start and end times of the party.

When your teen checks in with a cell phone, ask to speak with the parent who is in charge, OR make a call to the “land line” to verify.
Know how your teen will get to and from the party
Assure that you (or a specified neighbor or friend) can be called if he/she needs a ride home AND discuss with your teen why and how that might occur
Provide any phone contact info to your teen, if you will not be at home
Have a “code word” that your teen may use when he/she calls you in order to discretely get out of a bad situation
Assure your teen that he/she can call you in ANY situation of concern
Remind your child never to get in a car with a driver who has been drinking

This can be a good way to check the time, as well as talk about the evening

Talk to your teen “face to face” and “eye to eye”; this is a good physical “checkup” for signs of illegal substance use

Call the parents of the friend hosting the overnight to verify the plan, and that it is acceptable to them
Verify that the parents will be home and that you all agree to curfew hours
Verify that the teens will be staying home once they arrive there
Verify that the parent will be awake when the teens come home to “check in”

Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them.
-Lady Bird Johnson