How to Have a Safe and Successful Summer with Your Teenager

As graduation season ends, summer parties, bar-b-ques and beach gatherings abound. Teenagers are out of school and left with a lot more free time. Bradley Hospital offers a few tips for parents to help them negotiate with their teens during the summer months.

As a parent, one of the best things you can do is to know where your children are and whom they are with, says Karyn Horowitz, MD, director of outpatient services and a child psychiatrist at Bradley Hospital. Adolescence is a difficult time for both children and adults. Parents must perform a balancing act between letting their children experiment and grow and keeping them safe.

Overall, Horowitz stresses the need for open communication.  “Parents,” she says, “need to feel comfortable parenting.” She encourages both parents to deliver the same message and to deliver it together, clearly stating what is acceptable and what is not. She also suggests only making decisions, rules or punishments that can be enforced.

During the summer it is especially important to give teens structure. Horowitz notes that parents often consider this when their children are young, but says it is just as important for teens, whether it is through a job or other types of structured activities.

The following are some general tips for parents to consider when their teen either attends or hosts a summer party.

Before your teen goes to a party:

• Call the host and make sure there will be supervision and no alcohol or drugs allowed.
• Know withwhom your child is going with and what time they will be home.
• If you drop your child off, don’t hesitate to go in and introduce yourself to the parents
• Make transportation arrangements beforehand, in case your child needs to leave the party.
• Urge your teen to never accept rides from someone who has been drinking and let them know there will be no punishment or restrictions if they call you for a ride.
• Stay up and wait for your child to get home. Let them know it’s to make sure they’re safe, not because you don’t trust them.

If you are hosting a party:

• Plan the guest list in advance to prevent strangers from showing up uninvited.
• Set a definite start and end time for the party
• Plan activities to give teens fun options that will add a positive focus to the party.
• Agree on the party rules ahead of time with your child.
• Know your role as a parent is to keep everyone safe and that it is illegal to provide alcohol to anyone under 21.
• Consider inviting other parents or couples to help share the responsibility.

If you would like additional information, please call Bradley Hospital at 401-432-1000 or visit our website.

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