It’s that time of year again, senioritis sets in, the temperature warms up and lo and behold, teenagers decide it’s party time. So can we stop the partying? No! Can we attempt to determine the consequences? By

all means.

The worst consequence is getting in a car and driving after having

consumed alcohol or drugs. So here is the biggest question to parents. Would

your kid call you to come get them if they knew they shouldn’t drive? If you’re

not sure of the answer, you better have that discussion. Chances are, they

will make the wrong choice and you will have little control over the consequences.

Some parents have told me about their level of control when it comes

to their children. But without communication and trust, there is no control. It’s

a far-fetched, shortsighted plan to think that putting the thumb on a child’s

activity will keep them from partying.

The consequences for you for providing alcohol or drugs to minors can

be pretty traumatic, as well. Let’s assume that a party is held at your house

while you are gone. Someone has a few beers, drives away, crashes and injures

someone. Can you be held responsible? It’s very possible that you can be held

accountable for actions at your household. At the very least, you will incur

some hefty charges in lawyer’s bills trying to prove it wasn’t your fault.

But there is help. The county typically starts their party patrols this time

of year and the school makes an effort to keep in tune with any planned parties.

So realizing the parties are going to happen, make sure your child

knows they can count on you to come pick them up, any time of the day or night.

The consequences of not having that discussion are more than most families

can handle.

Jim McKiernan