While graduation signifies a rite of passage for those who are leaving high school, most parents greet the event with mixed feelings. They may realize their child is soon leaving home, but they want them to have the very best in their life. They may also worry about graduation parties that can get out of control. Though some will drink no matter what you do, there are many parents that realize events like prom and graduation tend to be the times when most will try it if it is not something they normally do. That might mean taking the party to your home to be sure nothing like that is going on.
This does not mean parents should host graduation parties and then serve alcohol. Some well-meaning parents have done this in the past. They think that because the kids are drinking where they can be monitored and where they can sleep it off, that they are doing them a service. While I can understand the thinking, the thought that they are going to do it anyway so they might as well do it here is way off base. Smart parents have graduation parties that are full of other things to do so that there is no drinking, and so that no one gets hurt.
The best thing about having graduation parties at home is that you know what they are doing. You should be sure to pack the afternoon and evening with many great, fun things to do so they are not bored and wandering off to parties that you dont want them to attend. You dont have to have graduation parties at your home either, as you can make it a short trip to do something things like a group dinner or even some type of other activity that you can find in your area. You may even find out that your school does something like this, and that might take some of the burden off of your shoulders.
If you simply cant host a party, you arent going to tell your child they cant go elsewhere, but that does not mean they can drink. They may feel freedom, but they are still too young for that much freedom. Its up to parents to set rules, find out where they will be, and talk with the hosts of the party. Parents should make it a priority to know about the graduation parties going on and which ones might lead to trouble.
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