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Prom Time: It’s All About Choices
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As parents of prom-bound young people, you will have a lot of choices to make in May. There are even more choices you’ll need to help your son or daughter with. A lot of these choices are pleasant and easy, such as corsages (white is always OK, except one purple orchid for a black dress).
Let your prom-goers know you are concerned about what they’ll be doing. Stay informed of their plans, both before and after the prom. Let your prom-goers know that they have to stick to the plans they’ve chosen (no exceptions); let them know that you choose to wait up for them to get home (no exceptions).
As we said, it’s all about making choices. Good ones. Because (unfortunately) there are many horribly bad choices that can be made on prom nights as well.
Here are a few figures. Even if you already know them, they are frightening. The leading cause of death among teenagers is fatal car crashes. Close to 40% - two out of every five teenaged deaths – are caused by driving accidents. Approximately one out of three of these teenaged fatalities involves alcohol. Most of the teenagers who are killed while drinking and driving are well over the .08-.10 blood alcohol limit. And of course, underage drinking is a crime by itself, whether or not the teenager chooses to drive afterwards.
Why is South Boston Online emphasizing driving and drinking in connection with proms?
There are two good reasons. In the first place, most young people going to proms drive there on their own, using the family vehicle or their own car. But here’s another little-known fact: in a crowded car (three passengers or more), teenaged drivers are FOUR TIMES more likely to have a fatal car crash than if they were driving alone. Just think back to the times you yourself went to a prom or a dance in an overcrowded car when you were young. Make the choice to warn your young prom-goer about this.
As for the drinking issue, let’s not be naïve. Teenaged drinking is all too common, especially during parties, dances, and so on. You must inform your son or daughter how tragic and serious it is to be in an accident involving alcohol. We find it hard to believe that a few parents still choose to serve alcohol to their kids, but it happens. These parents are in complete denial, of course, when they say, “We’d rather they drank at home than on the road.” Choices, choices – some bad; some very, very bad.
We’d also like to take a moment to talk to each young prom-goer:
On the evening of your prom, there will be number of choices you will have to make. We don’t have to list out them out here. You already know what the choices are, you and your date are old enough to make good decisions, and you and your date know right from wrong. Those choices have to do with safe driving, of course. And staying away from drinking and the “brew crew”. Plan your evening in advance and stick with your plan, so it will be easy to turn down a bad choice, like by saying, “Sorry, but we can’t go with you – we already made other plans.”
Take your choices one step further. What kind of memories do you want to have about your prom the next day? Do you want to wake up with a crawly feeling somewhere between your heart and your stomach that you made a really bad choice the night before? Or will you choose to wake up with a smile, and memories of a really great time, and a wish that you could do it all over again. There’s a slogan, “Dance. Don’t Chance.” That seems to sum it up. But it’s all about choices. Your choices.
South Boston Online wrote this editorial to get responses from our readers, both young and old, but especially from parents. Let us know how you’ll be making your choices during prom season. We want to share these ideas with all our other readers.
Thanks.
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