Are you Serious?

A party at your house?  You may be asking, "Are you kidding?".   I recently read a good column regarding the subject. Denise Witmer from about.com offers five good reasons to change your thinking about hosting a gathering for your teen and his friends.  Read it and see what you think.

Teen parties seem to be a taboo subject for many parents. With out-of-control parties happening and some parents feeling it’s okay to allow teens to drink as long as they are at their home, it isn’t any wonder. But there are very good reasons to host a teen party with your teenager. Here are my top five:
Throwing a party with your teen will help strengthen the bond in your relationship. The two of you will be working together to put on this event. You’ll both need to have give and take on the rules, the food, the invitees, etc. Plus, parties are a great way to celebrate milestones and teach family traditions. Celebrating milestones and family traditions give teens a sense of belonging. Sharing that with their peers will extend the sense belonging to their youth community.
During a party, you will get to know your teen’s friends. Will you like all of your teen’s friends? Perhaps not. But you will get to know who is who, which is a real leg up. You may find that you hear more about what goes on in school or elsewhere when your teen knows you know who he/she is talking about.
Your teen will appreciate your wanting to do something for them. It feels good to teens to know that their parents care about their social life, as it is a big part of their life. Having good friends helps your teen create a strong identity and self confidence. You helping your teen by creating fun times with their friends makes it easier for him/her to reach that goal.
You will be able to laugh in the face of adversity. Okay, not really a great reason. But it is true. There is so much taboo surrounding teen parties that it isn’t any wonder parents shy away from this activity. It is almost as if the alcohol and drug using youth community has put a stop to young people who want to get together to have some fun without illegal goings-on. .
Giving a teen party is an activity that will teach your teen many needed skills. Having a party for your friends is a big endeavor. It will show him/her how to entertain and be a gracious host/hostess. If your teen uses his/her friends as a decorating crew and/or clean up crew, he/she will learn to delegate. There are many skills your teen will be able to hone while planning and giving a party.

With prom, graduation and other spring activities coming up, above is something to consider.  Next week I'll share the rules and guidelines for hosting a gathering at your house. chrissie