Are you Allowing your Senior go to Beach Week?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We moved to this area from Ohio. No beach week was not heard of in Ohio. I would guess it had something to do with the fact that beaches are nowhere near Ohio. I guess kids could have all stayed at a motel by the quarry but it doesn't sound as cool. The beaches here are all about 2-3 hours away.

The parent proposing beach week with mom is having a hard time realizing that at a certain point you are no longer the center of your child's world. The parent who thinks college is a more controlled environment is having delusions.

The parent who is pleased that her daughter has no interest should talk to her kid. It is sad but beach week is a continuation of popularity circles. Lots of kids have a wonderful time but for the socially awkward kids or kids that feel like a third wheel it yet another one of those painful things where they feel left out. I remember knowing a few kids who said they were not interested in beach week and wanted to do other things. It seemed normal to me at the time. Years later, I was talking with these people and they mentioned how left out they felt in high school and avoided beach week as another one of those things for the "cool" kids. I'm not saying that you should anyway try to talk your daughter into going to beach week but you may want to try talking to her about whether she is feeling left out, bullied, or unpopular.

In other words, you are saying there is something wrong with a kid who does not want to get sh@tfaced, have massive casual sex or hang out with young people who are partaking in these behaviors. I soooooooo hope my kid is not going to school with your kid.

[Anonymous]

Actually, beach week when I was in high school, I was far more responsible.

In college, I did even more stupid things than I did in high school! Go figure.

[Anonymous]

The parent who is pleased that her daughter has no interest should talk to her kid. It is sad but beach week is a continuation of popularity circles. Lots of kids have a wonderful time but for the socially awkward kids or kids that feel like a third wheel it yet another one of those painful things where they feel left out. I remember knowing a few kids who said they were not interested in beach week and wanted to do other things. It seemed normal to me at the time. Years later, I was talking with these people and they mentioned how left out they felt in high school and avoided beach week as another one of those things for the "cool" kids. I'm not saying that you should anyway try to talk your daughter into going to beach week but you may want to try talking to her about whether she is feeling left out, bullied, or unpopular.

In other words, you are saying there is something wrong with a kid who does not want to get sh@tfaced, have massive casual sex or hang out with young people who are partaking in these behaviors. I soooooooo hope my kid is not going to school with your kid.

No one is saying that anything is wrong with your child. Many of the kids that struggle socially or are victims of bullies are wonderful kids. Beach week is not just kids getting shitfaced and having massive sex. Does it go on? Yes, however, there are plenty of kids that go and do not drink to oblivion, engage in casual sex or whatever. They just have fun with their friends. Some kids are confident enough to go to parties without crossing boundaries. It is a very big high social event but some groups of kids are very left out. I know it may feel better for you to smuggly pat yourself on the back for having a child that rejects alcohol and sex but this is probably not why she doesn't want to go to beach week.

[Anonymous]

Just stating my opinion from the son/daughter's point of view since I am a senior myself. I would be devestated if I couldn't go to beach week. I would never forgive my parents for robbing me on a once in a life time experience. I plan on drinking and having sex while I'm there yes, but I have taken overnight college visits and what do you think I did on those? I have already been excepted into a number of schools. My parents haven't hid alcohol's presence around me and rather encouraged me to drink at home in order to educate me on how to drink safely. If I weren't at beach week do you know what I'd be doing? I'd drink and have sex just to get back at my parents. You're naive to think that your child hasn't and doesn't participate in either of the activities I have listed, so why can they not go? Would you not let me go? And if it is truly your son's or daughter's decision not to go then so be it, but don't rob them of the choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just stating my opinion from the son/daughter's point of view since I am a senior myself. I would be devestated if I couldn't go to beach week. I would never forgive my parents for robbing me on a once in a life time experience. I plan on drinking and having sex while I'm there yes, but I have taken overnight college visits and what do you think I did on those? I have already been excepted into a number of schools. My parents haven't hid alcohol's presence around me and rather encouraged me to drink at home in order to educate me on how to drink safely. If I weren't at beach week do you know what I'd be doing? I'd drink and have sex just to get back at my parents. You're naive to think that your child hasn't and doesn't participate in either of the activities I have listed, so why can they not go? Would you not let me go? And if it is truly your son's or daughter's decision not to go then so be it, but don't rob them of the choice.

PP, your post makes me sad for you in so many ways.

[Anonymous]

Just stating my opinion from the son/daughter's point of view since I am a senior myself. I would be devestated if I couldn't go to beach week. I would never forgive my parents for robbing me on a once in a life time experience. I plan on drinking and having sex while I'm there yes, but I have taken overnight college visits and what do you think I did on those? I have already been excepted into a number of schools. My parents haven't hid alcohol's presence around me and rather encouraged me to drink at home in order to educate me on how to drink safely. If I weren't at beach week do you know what I'd be doing? I'd drink and have sex just to get back at my parents. You're naive to think that your child hasn't and doesn't participate in either of the activities I have listed, so why can they not go? Would you not let me go? And if it is truly your son's or daughter's decision not to go then so be it, but don't rob them of the choice.

What schools?

[Anonymous]

Hell no (to answer the original question). I went to law school with a quadriplegic whose injuries were a result of beach week. No way. And our public high school principal has asked all parents "Just say NO" and "DO NOT sign any leases - you will be held liable for any injuries, rapes or deaths". Have you seen those morons try to flip off a deck into a baby rubber pool and break their necks on America's Funniest Home videos? THAT's beach week.

[Anonymous]

No, my kid doesn't need to get shit faced drunk and have casual sex to have fun with her friends.
And I'm certainly not going to pay for that either.

My DD is a good kid and knows this.

I don't understand why parents turn a blind eye to the underage drinking and promiscuity? And become enablers.

[Anonymous]

to all the parents that are against beach week. few things. not all young adults go to get trashed and slut around. furthermore how are you going to make a decision for an 18 year old by telling them act like an adult but no you cant go. time to cut the umbilical cord and let them bloom into the adults they will become and make choices. sounds like some parents arent comfortable with their parenting skills that they have installed in their young adults lives.

[Anonymous]

to all the parents that are against beach week. few things. not all young adults go to get trashed and slut around. furthermore how are you going to make a decision for an 18 year old, by law they are considered adults. how does it sound by telling them, act like an adult but no you cant go. time to cut the umbilical cord and let them make their own choices and let them bloom into the adults they will become. sounds like some parents aren't comfortable with their parenting skills that they have installed in their young adults lives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't have a 17/18 year old yet (mine's turning 16), but I went for senior week when I was that age. The kids who were prone to getting in trouble did. The kids who were more responsible didn't get into much trouble at all. Know your kid. Go from there.

I was a "good kid". Truth is that I never got caught at anything I did. I went both my junior and senior year. I was drunk Pretty much the entire time, and it was fun to live with my boyfriend for the week.

Me too. I don't think I'll let my child go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Just stating my opinion from the son/daughter's point of view since I am a senior myself. I would be devestated if I couldn't go to beach week. I would never forgive my parents for robbing me on a once in a life time experience. I plan on drinking and having sex while I'm there yes, but I have taken overnight college visits and what do you think I did on those? I have already been excepted into a number of schools. My parents haven't hid alcohol's presence around me and rather encouraged me to drink at home in order to educate me on how to drink safely. If I weren't at beach week do you know what I'd be doing? I'd drink and have sex just to get back at my parents. You're naive to think that your child hasn't and doesn't participate in either of the activities I have listed, so why can they not go? Would you not let me go? And if it is truly your son's or daughter's decision not to go then so be it, but don't rob them of the choice.

What schools?

It's accepted. Just don't get arrested at senior week and ruin your chances.

[Anonymous]

1990s private school grad here. In my group of friends, enough parents colluded and said no to Dewey with no chaperones that we gave up. But they did agree to let the ten of us rent a great house in the outer banks with parent chaperones staying in the attached apartment. We had a great, and safe, time. Came back to dc to find that literally half of our classmates had been arrested for underage drinking at a party we prob would have attended.

[Anonymous]

Hey, if they're adults and can go to Beach Week, they can pay their way to college and deal with the consequences of their Beach Week stupidity on their own.

[Anonymous]

I went to Senior Week in 1997. It had the exact same reputation to which you are referring. Trust me, it's not nearly as interesting as it is in your mind. If you have good kids, they will still be good. Also, a few months later they will be in College and there will be much worse tempting to them on a daily basis.