Having been to beach week myself, no way. There is a huge difference between college (goal - education) and beach week (goal - get drunk and be dumb) as PP said above.

No. We're taking our own cool trip then - my kids are free to be excited or roll their eyes and tell their friends I'm evil for making them go. But I'm confident they'll have fun.

Anonymous wrote:I think many of the parents who think Beach Week is fine are relatively young themselves -- closer in age to my teens than to me. Check back in when your kids are in high school and let's see if you've changed your mind. This isn't about what you did as a teenager -- being a parent of teenagers isn't for the faint of heart. You need to make the tough calls, even when it makes you unpopular and even when you'd rather give in and go along.

Said the fuddy-duddy who waited until 40 to have kids

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A hotel a few miles away in appropriate. Staying in the same house is not.

Are your kids napping now?

No. My 17 year old going-to-college-out-of-state-on-scholarship son is in his room playing video games with 4 of his friends.

Anonymous wrote:He's 18.....he's technically an adult. I'd let him go.

Get back to your homework.

I'm 46 and think it's ok depending on the kid. Theoretically we've been giving them more and more autonomy to make harder decisions. I asked before if OP likes his group of friends, if he's ever had trouble with drugs/alcohol, etc. OP know if he is susceptible to peer pressure or not. If he's a generally responsible kid, let him go. If not, more supervision, or don't let him go. I know a lot of parents who take their kids and a bunch of friends to the beach that week.

I think there's an obvious difference between being at college, where partying needs to be balanced with classes and schoolwork, and beach week, when partying is the entire point.

We told our 18-year-old no for beach week, but if he wants to go with friends for a weekend later in the summer (he's working weekdays) that would be ok.

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious about all the people saying they'd agree because at age 18 they are an adult.

So why is it that 18 year olds cannot legally drink? Do we just assume they are going to break the law? Does anyone really think their kid is going to Beach Week and not drinking?

Because what is the point in "sheltering them" when they are going off to college 2 months after? Obviously some of the kids will be drinking but others will not. They are going off to college 2 months after so what is the point in not letting them go? Just another way to baby them until they leave for good and do all of this stuff anyways? Let the kid go.

I'm curious about all the people saying they'd agree because at age 18 they are an adult.

So why is it that 18 year olds cannot legally drink? Do we just assume they are going to break the law? Does anyone really think their kid is going to Beach Week and not drinking?

No. I just don't feel that it is necessary or that the benefits that it would potentially provide outweigh the risks of bad choices. The trip strikes me as pointless.

Anonymous wrote:I think many of the parents who think Beach Week is fine are relatively young themselves -- closer in age to my teens than to me. Check back in when your kids are in high school and let's see if you've changed your mind. This isn't about what you did as a teenager -- being a parent of teenagers isn't for the faint of heart. You need to make the tough calls, even when it makes you unpopular and even when you'd rather give in and go along.

It goes both ways. I have college and high school aged kids. We sort of surprised ourselves when we agreed to the trip when the time came. DS was a really responsible kid and we felt he earned the trip and we were comfortable with the agreed-upon rules for the week. An adult was nearby if needed but did not "chaperone" the beach house.

How is the comparison between beach week and college so off? In both cases, your kid is on his own, surrounded by alcohol, drugs and sex.

As i posted earlier, it seems to me beach week is a perfect opportunity to discuss how to handle these situations.

Caging your kid for another month seems silly.

He's 18.....he's technically an adult. I'd let him go.

I think many of the parents who think Beach Week is fine are relatively young themselves -- closer in age to my teens than to me. Check back in when your kids are in high school and let's see if you've changed your mind. This isn't about what you did as a teenager -- being a parent of teenagers isn't for the faint of heart. You need to make the tough calls, even when it makes you unpopular and even when you'd rather give in and go along.

Anonymous wrote:A hotel a few miles away in appropriate. Staying in the same house is not.

Are your kids napping now?