My neighbor was telling me about her daughter’s excitement over her upcoming prom. I felt a tug of regret. I never went to my high school prom. I’ll be honest, I was never asked. I was not the type of girl to inspire crushes from guys in high school. I like to think of it as being a late bloomer. I figure I will begin to bloom when I am 80… just in time for the “senior” dance!

Hearing about prom put a bee in my bonnet and I announced to my husband that I had a new life goal… to go on a prom date. My husband was horrified at the implications of that statement. In order to avoid the inevitable rental of a tuxedo, he offered a kid down the street 50 bucks to take me to his high school prom! Unfortunately, for my husband, Logan had a prom date already. LOL!

All kidding aside. Going to the prom is a right of passage for many teens, but it is not without its risks. It makes sense for parents to talk with their kids about situations that could crop up on prom night, but parents can only do so much to make sure their kids are safe. No
one wants to seem uncool, especially on prom night, but teens can do things to help protect themselves.

Ask your teen to set up a buddy system amongst his/her friends to follow some common safety rules:

• Don’t let your friends go off alone or with strangers.
• Don’t pressure your friends into doing something they don’t want to do.
• Don’t let your friends get into a car with someone you know has been drinking, and stop your friends from driving if they have been drinking.
• If your friends are doing something that is stupid and dangerous, speak up!
• If something bad is going down or something feels wrong… trust your instincts and get out of there.
• Carry your cell phone with you at all times in case you need to call for help!

Here are some prom safety resources that may be helpful:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have put together Prom Health and Safety Tips, Safe Driving to the Prom and Beyond, and a Prom Podcast that discusses various aspects of risks associated with going to the prom.
• De-stressing the Prom
• <a href=”http://www.safecampusesnow.org/PDF/PromSafety.pdf” title=”Make Prom Night Your <a href=”http://www.bestdentalplans.com”>best Night”>Make Prom Night Your <a href=”http://www.bestdentalplans.com”>best Night
• Parents Can Help Prevent Prom Night Drinking
• Prom Anxiety
• Prom + Graduation + Senior Beach Week = Underage Drinking Mayhem?
• Prom Safety – What Parents Worry About
• Prom Safety Tips

After a lot of pleading, attempted bribery, and crying (geez, he sure can turn on the waterworks
when he is desperately trying to get out of doing something), my husband has accepted his fate. He is taking me on a “prom date”. We will be dressing up for an elegant evening of dinner and dancing! Do you have a prom story you want to share?

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