Precautions to take for a safe prom night for teens

By Lisa LaGrou

DETROIT – Making it clear to children that there could be disastrous results for disastrous behaviors on prom night could be a simple lesson that goes a long way in keeping them safe.

Prom season is upon us. A parenting expert sent me some prom night safety tips that were pretty general in nature. Basic, but a nice reminder. I wanted to share them and get your thoughts.

Safety tips

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Here is a quick summary of the safety tips for prom night:

  • Get the phone numbers of your child's prom date and at least five friends so you can reach someone.   
  • Set a curfew. Everything should be done by a specific time so there's no need to stay out unnecessarily late.
  • Remind your child that cameras can be anywhere so don't behave in public in a way that might cause shame if a video was publicized.
  • A college acceptance can be revoked for illegal behavior and/or for getting expelled from high school.  

Seeing the tips brought back memories from my prom days, along with concerns and wonder about what to expect when it comes to my kids' prom nights.

Enforcing safety

The prom night safety tips are decent tips. But, reading the prom tips is one thing, enforcing them on teens is far more challenging. There's a hefty amount of parenting peer pressure during prom season in regards to keeping up with the Joneses. No one wants to be the tyrant parent during prom season. Maybe that's why many parents cave in to the very peer pressure we had hoped we outgrew in our own teen years. 

What do parents think?

You hear the outrageous stories of girls spending money on prom dresses as if they're picking out their wedding gown. Or, parents who extend curfews into the morning hours after overnight hotel stays. For some, it's a "no rules" night. It has me thinking – what do parents think about enforcing safety tips like the ones above? 

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About the author:

Lisa LaGrou is the founder of OaklandCountyMoms.com. She and her team work to present quality content to their readers. Lisa likes to provide information and options for families about a myriad of topics without preaching or condoning. If she experiences something, she want to share it. If she doesn't know about something, she tries to find information to share. She's delighted when people contact her with suggestions about content and resources. For more information on how to become a member of Oakland County Moms click HERE.