In recent news kids are having drinking parties in their parents' homes and the cops are breaking up the parties. I know that this has been going on forever. Heck, I went to them as a teenager.
The new twist is that parents are hosting some of these parties. The rationale behind this decision is, "at least I know they're drinking in a controlled environment."
Are you kidding me??? Forget about the legal ramifications to the parents. What lesson are they teaching their children? That rules such as "the legal drinking age is 21" do not apply to them? That a parent's approval overrides the law?
It's not just important to raise kids who know that they're not above the law. There's also something to be said for raising kids who fear breaking the law.
We were all teenagers once. Remember how sneaking a beer or a cigarette gave you such a feeling of taking a walk on the wild side? You enjoyed, at least termporarily, that freeing experience of asserting your independence. Then the time came to go home. You and your friends popped Clorets gum in your mouth and sprayed perfume to cover up the smell of beer or a cigarette. You walked into your house so anxious, praying to a God that your parents would not pick up the scent of your rebellion.
Looking back, I honestly think that this fear is what keeps kids on the straight and narrow. As a teenager, having a fear of the consequence makes you realize that there are rules you need to follow in society. Teenagers want to break the rules and walk to their own beat. To a certain extent we need them to rebel in order to grow. If parents host the drinking parties in their houses it does damage to our teenagers on more levels than one.
Dona Zappulla is the mother of four school-aged children in Easton and the area director for AuPairCare. Based on her experience working with at-risk teenage girls, Dona is writing a book and contributes to HamletHub on parenting, education, and child development. Have a question on those subjects? Write to Dona at questions4dona@gmail.com.