Setting the Curfew for Teen Parties
Setting the curfew for Teen Parties is such a fine line, you want your teen to have an awesome childhood. Celebrating friend’s birthdays, graduations and parties are part of growing up, but being a parent is tough…you have to be the enforcer of the curfew all while in the back of your head you remember your childhood and the fun you had!
Where do you start? What’s appropriate? Guess what? There is no right or wrong time. It’s all about what you are comfortable with and what you know about the party!
Here are some tips that we have compiled for you. (Hey it’s ain’t easy, raising children really does take a village!)
Did you have a conversation with your spouse on the subject yet? You must be on the same page.
Talk to the parent(s) of the teeenager having the party. Find out the details.Make sure you know what adults will be there. What are the ages of the other teenagers that are invited? Will there be older ones attending?
Teenagers are always going to say they want the same curfew as their friends, this is your time to stand firm on what you believe. The more information you have the better. Call the other parents, find out what curfews they are setting. Once you have all the details you feel comfortable with you can make a good decision.
Being the Curfew Police!
Talk with you child. Open communication is key, Set the expectations now, so as they get older they will understand what you expect. Make sure they understand WAY before they walk out the door. Especially what is allowed and what is not. There is nothing worse then getting the call while they are at the party and they want to go sleep over someone’s house or they want to stay later. When you clearly communicate, consistently then this should limit these calls. But hey, we are talking teenagers here. Decide when you will be flexible, and when you will not. Be consistent. Have follow through. If they break the rules, what is the punishment? Make sure you are going to be able to see it through.
You know you teen better than anyone else, you know when they are pushing the limits- go with your instincts. They are going to push you wherever they see the opportunity, so stand by your decision, there are no right and wrong times to tell you kids its’ time to come home.
Letting Go and Holding on
This will always be a battle you will have, no what what age. Parties or not you will always want to keep your children close to you. As they get older, the harder it will get for you. You will pull out the baby photos and wonder where the time went. Heres the good news. The more conversations you have with your children, the more you listen to them and be flexible where you can- they are going to respect you and your decisions. They will want to stay close to the nest because they aren’t running from anything.
Again- go back to what we said previously- these are teenagers here so they are going to push you. Parenting is the hardest job, hands down. You will feel like you are making mistakes. Rest in knowing that you are not alone. All parents of teeenagers feel the same way. Have a support system. Talk about what you are feeling, and see how others handle it. Listen and learn from others too.
Remember- you will get through this and bottom line kids really do want to have fun, set the boundaries so they can make incredible memories! They will Thank You when they get older!
