Enjoy Peace of Mind on Your Kids’ Big Night
When people think of prom season, they envision teenagers dressed to the nines, laughing and taking pictures in their formal attire, dancing the night away.
What many people don’t realize is the immense amount of work and worry that parents put into making the big night as fun and safe as possible for their children.
Prom season is in full swing and, in addition to helping your kids find the right dress and tuxedo for the event, you also have to referee their after-prom activities, discuss ground rules for the night and ensure that they have a safe way to get to and from the event.
If this all sounds familiar to you, have no fear: we’ve created a list of tips for a stress-free prom this year.
Screen Their Limousine Company Carefully
The limousine has been a standard of the prom-going experience for decades now. The luxury and pizazz of traveling to prom with all of their friends in the back of a stretch limo is something that kids look forward to throughout the school year.
For parents, the stress of finding a trustworthy company to handle with their kids’ transportation throughout prom night is less important than their daughter’s dress color or finding a tuxedo with a matching cummerbund.
When selecting your kids’ limousine company, keep a few things in mind:
- Does the company have professional chauffeurs with significant experience in driving and navigating the city where you live?
- Do they have adequate insurance on all of their vehicles?
- Are they members of the correct accredited organizations like the Better Business Bureau and the National Limousine Association?
If you’re entrusting your child’s prom transportation to anyone, you want to make sure that they are accountable to a larger network of businesses.
Get a List of Numbers
Most parents will receive the same annoyed groan when they demand that their teenage children produce a list of phone numbers of the locations they’ll be on prom night. But your own peace of mind depends on knowing that you can contact your child or children at any point throughout the night.
From the phone numbers of the other teenagers traveling with your child, to the phone number of the prom venue, you want to be able to get in touch. Should your teen’s cell phone battery die, or if they choose to simply not answer, a back up plan for getting in touch is always a good thing.
Don’t hound your teen throughout their special and long awaited night. Just knowing that you can contact them any time is a huge stress reliever and a great way to increase your child’s level of safety.
Get the Lowdown on After-Prom Activities
Some teens forward to the after-prom activities more than they do the actual prom. It’s easy to see why.
A couple of hours in their formal attire, and the discomfort of fancy shoes can make anyone wish for a more casual attire. Your teen’s after-prom activities should be spelled out and reviewed before the big night arrives. Whether they’re going to a friend’s house or a school-sponsored event, you should know your child’s whereabouts throughout each stage of the night. This will ensure that they are safer, and you are less stressed out.
Prom doesn’t have to be a manic, stress-filled experience. You want your teen to truly enjoy their big night, have fun with their friends and appreciate the glitz and glamour of dressing up and riding in a limousine. With a few precautionary measures in mind, you can help your teen, and yourself, have a better prom experience in 2014.
photo credit: {Salt of the Earth} via photopin cc