...beach week in Ocean City....

[Anonymous]

My kid rented a house last year in Rehoboth with 9 classmates. He was 18 and found a realtor that had "special event" listings - owners who rent to high school students. Although parents had to sign the lease, no parents had to be present during the week. There was a hefty security deposit, which was returned.

Friend's kid the previous year rented a house for their kid and kid's friends and agreed a parent or adult over 21 would be present. No adult was present when realtor checked on house and they were kicked out the 3rd day in, with zero refund, so be careful.

[Anonymous]

Don't go to Bethany.

Go to OC, don't let them have a car.

There is a bus that goes up and down Rt 1 and it is cheap. It's called the drunk bus that week and many other weeks.

https://www.oceancity.com/senior-week/

The W schools have a representative from Ocean City come to their school and answer questions. If you know somebody going maybe you can get an invite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did beach week when I was 17 and 18 and had a great time. I wasn't a partier, nor were my friends, bur we still enjoyed ourselves, four girls in an un-air conditioned ground floor rental. Back before cell phones, so the only contact we had with our parents was an occasional call from a phone booth.

That said, I'll be wreck when my kid will want to go next summer after his senior year....

I agree with the PP who said remind DS about drugs and underage drinking. I do know someone whose kid's college acceptance was rescinded after he was arrested for a DUI.

Condoms.

DO NOT DIVE INTO THE WATER. DO NOT THROW SOMEONE ELSE INTO THE WATER.

Condoms.

Only swim at the beach when the life guards are on duty.

Do not get in the car when the driver has been drinking. Do not worry about being called a p***y or anything like that. Let them say that and let them go wrap the car around a utility pole.



Really good advice.

I will add do not let them drive down. Take them and take keys. They do not need cars there.

Remind them not to take a drink from anyone. Always make their own and throw out any drinks given to them.

They need to keep the rental clean and clean it when they leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't go to Bethany.

Go to OC, don't let them have a car.

There is a bus that goes up and down Rt 1 and it is cheap. It's called the drunk bus that week and many other weeks.

https://www.oceancity.com/senior-week/

The W schools have a representative from Ocean City come to their school and answer questions. If you know somebody going maybe you can get an invite.

Also stay above 20th street.

[Anonymous]

Do NOT try to go to Seacret with a fake ID.

[Anonymous]

I am there with my senior too. A family has a beach house they can use. It is 6 miles from the beach. I am hoping that will make it better?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just remind him that underage drinking and drugs are illegal. If he’s arrested it will quite possibly affect his college admission.
Get him condoms and tell him to use them.

Tell him not to do any stupid stuff like throw things off balconies.

Yes, it’s a lot of fun, but totally reckless. I was a good kid too.

or JUMP off - seen many times with second story balconies overlooking the bay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meant to add to the above that we had two meetings prior to beach week, the first with parents to make sure everyone was on the same page, and the second with the boys after the presentation (at Walter Johnson in our case) from the local beach town police who went through do's and don'ts of Beach Week. In addition to setting expectations, we made sure they knew they'd be responsible for thoroughly cleaning the rental so we could get our deposits back.

OP here. I did not even know this was a thing! Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't go to Bethany.

Go to OC, don't let them have a car.

There is a bus that goes up and down Rt 1 and it is cheap. It's called the drunk bus that week and many other weeks.

https://www.oceancity.com/senior-week/

The W schools have a representative from Ocean City come to their school and answer questions. If you know somebody going maybe you can get an invite.

OP again. Thank you for this!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't go to Bethany.

Go to OC, don't let them have a car.

There is a bus that goes up and down Rt 1 and it is cheap. It's called the drunk bus that week and many other weeks.

https://www.oceancity.com/senior-week/

The W schools have a representative from Ocean City come to their school and answer questions. If you know somebody going maybe you can get an invite.

OP again. Thank you for this!

This is linked in the link but I wanted to call it out.

http://playitsafeoceancity.com/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's a recent thread on this you may find helpful: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/850973.page

Both my kids went, and nothing terrible happened in their houses, but we did hear some horror stories. In addition to the "no swimming at night" and some of the other good advice you've already gotten, I'd add "Please don't get a tattoo, drink or be clearly intoxicated in public, or argue with any police officers."

The veteran parents in our kids' beach houses all recommended renting a place a block or so away from the beach/main drag.

Ah, thank you! -OP

[Anonymous]

parents had to sign the lease

That's NOT renting to high school students

Op, what I observe is: if they can't do it on their own, it doesn't happen. Many of their ideas die on the vine without parents making it happen. I wish the parents wouldn't. However, if it happens -- if the 18 year olds are able to make it happen, with their own money, I feel I have no role in impeding it.

[Anonymous]

Whew. I went to OC for my senior week in 1992, and we were really good kids, and we stayed way far north (above 100th St.) because that’s where most of our HS stayed. And it still gives me hives to think about my kids doing the same thing—not because I don’t trust them but because of the general chaos and what they can’t control.

I think you’ve gotten good advice here. The very best thing you can drill into his head is not to be afraid to be the kid who says no/walks away/doesn’t do the stupid thing everyone else is doing. And that he can call you, no matter what, any time of the day or night, if he needs help—that the most important thing is that he’s safe.

[Anonymous]

I went to beach week with a group of friends in 1988. We had a blast. We also agreed to a few ground rules ahead of time and they served us well. My kid is going on a beach week trip with her friends after graduation and they are a level headed bunch who will have fun and hopefully be smart about things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was 18 and my parents didn't let me goto the equivalent of beach week (in florida). It really is a terrible idea. So much could go wrong.

It didn't faze me much to be told no. I have never once felt I missed out on something, and I do feel this way about other things. I also never did colleg spring break beach trips because by spring of my freshmen year I understood such thinsg were cheesy.

This. Read some of the studies done on beach week. No good can come of it.