Senior Week in Ocean City: How heinously are your kids behaving?

[Anonymous]

I grew up in VA and our beach week was at VA Beach (this was in the 80's). It was the same as it is now: excessive drinking, drug use, some people arrested...generally kids who were used to being under their parent's watch suddenly out of control. I do not want my DC's to attend beach week in OC. Going crazy and partying on a college campus is one thing, but in the middle of a beach town, where the police are out just looking for students to arrest, it's another. There are too many different types of kids thrown together and too much trouble to get into.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My friends did two senior weeks. One in Ocean City and one in cancun. I was date raped in OC and almost died in cancun. And I was NOT an overly irresponsible teen. My kids will never go to beach week. Do what you want when you get to college, but not on my watch.

"not on my watch" is the key thing for me. To my child i say this: At college, you are clearly responsible for yourself although remember that the finacial assistance does have some strings attched (like you will find the bank also has when you need a loan one day). Beach week and any other time you live at home, I share responsibility for your safety and I want no part of it nor will I bury my head in the sand and pretend I am not your parent. I also expect that you will understand why we (like many youth hostels) have a curfew when you are home even though you don't have one at school. Its tough being loved and cared for by your parents so much, isn't it? Also, though it may appear differently to you now, as you see "friends" indulge with reckless abandon, there really is no free lunch, even for the young and "free".

[Anonymous]

It's not just a US thing. I taught high school in Mexico City for several years and our kids had beach week every year in Ixtapa. My nephew just graduated from high school in Europe and his whole graduating class went to a Greek Island for beach week. He told me all about it - pretty much the same as our beach weeks here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
" not on my watch" is the key thing for me. To my child i say this: At college, you are clearly responsible for yourself although remember that the finacial assistance does have some strings attched (like you will find the bank also has when you need a loan one day). Beach week and any other time you live at home, I share responsibility for your safety and I want no part of it nor will I bury my head in the sand and pretend I am not your parent. I also expect that you will understand why we (like many youth hostels) have a curfew when you are home even though you don't have one at school. Its tough being loved and cared for by your parents so much, isn't it? Also, though it may appear differently to you now, as you see "friends" indulge with reckless abandon, there really is no free lunch, even for the young and "free".

+1

Well said.

[Anonymous]

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