Stereotypes tend to be stereotypes because they are at least somewhat true. For example, teenagers like to party. And I would guess greater than 90% of teens like to party. I can tell you I do. There are few things more fun than hanging out with several or tons of your friends. So, when your teen wants to have a party, keep a few things in mind.
- First of all, the size of the party is possibly the most important factor. When people say party, they tend to think of a group of ten plus people partying. For me, a party is four plus. Why? Well, you would never just say, “Can I have five friends hang out tonight?” Rather, that qualifies as a small party to me. But, it’s not much, just some guys or girls (or both) hanging out.
- Is parental supervision required? This is the toughest one out there. It depends on the kids and the size of the party. For example, I like to think that my friends and I are responsible kids, and to the most part, my parents agree. So, if it was just a friend or two and I, they would leave us unsupervised. I think a group of four or so could even be unsupervised, but I doubt they would let that happen. (My parents are on the more supervising end.) At the same time, if I had twenty kids over, they would never leave us unsupervised.
- 72% of kids consume alcohol before the end of high school. So, the more kids in your house, the more likely drink/other illegal activities will happen, which leaves legal obligation to the parents. This could happen in small groups, so you also have to judge the kids.
- Finally, planning the party is a major factor. This, I think, should have major teen involvement. No matter what type of party it is, at 15, I don’t ever want a parent helping me make invitations. I’m hanging with several friends tonight and it was all planned via word of mouth and text message. Also, we don’t need some crazy preplanned menu. As teenage boys, pizza and whatever snacks we can find are good. At the same time, we do eat a lot, so be ready. Oh and we drink tons of soda. I once saw two 2-liter bottles disappear in one hour; there were only three boys present.
So, if you aren’t sure what you should do when your teen wants a party, feel free to keep this in mind.