When you hear Spring Break you think of one thing: your college kid going out each day to the beach with alcohol, and then hitting the club at night with alcohol. The scenery may differ but there is always alcohol, your kid’s friends, who you may or may not know, and more college-aged kids who you definitely do not know. You do not know their motives, which worries you.
The challenge you face is this: figuring out how much you need to be the helicopter parent and how much of a cool parent you can be. You want your child to enjoy their Spring Break, but at the same time, you really want to have one more uncomfortable talk with them before they head off for the parties.
You want to talk about the dangers of drugs, alcohol, and strangers. You want to tell them to never take a drink from a stranger, and never get in the car with a driver who is even only buzzed and not fully drunk.
We say to go for that one extra discussion. Your child may already know everything you are going to say again, and they may just roll their eyes at you and say “I knowww” but it never hurts to repeat it one more time. This time, your words can be the reason they make the right choice. Plus, you will feel better after giving them the talk, even if they have already shown they know and are antsy to get going.
Here is a tip – finish off the conversation by telling them you trust them and want them to have a good time. That is a good trick to ending a slightly awkward conversation on a positive note.
Let your college kid go off on Spring Break and have fun. Heck, you remember your college days, don’t you? Just make sure to have a little conversation with them beforehand. The last thing anyone wants is for you to have to bail them out of jail in the middle of break.