Anonymous wrote:Your kids are going away in a few months and you can’t even trust them not to drink at family events. Parenting fail! You have officially oversheltered to the point that your children have failed to learn.

Do you have teenagers? You did hear about the poor teen last year that drank and died at night in cold wooded area just between houses? No, we don't trust them not to drink, and even if we trust our own not to drink, we certainly don't trust their friends not to drink. You know why? Because we are not stupid and naive, teens are like imbeciles when it comes to drinking, you can talk and they will say, sure and go and be stupid. I never drank as a teen, nor do I now, but I sure as hell am not welcoming dozens and dozens of teens into my house and having an open bar, and paying a bartender?! I am not that rich, nor am I that stupid. We are not in the 80s or 90s anymore when nobody cared, I could end up in jail, I could end up sued by a clueless parent like you, who is stupid enough to trust her kids! I hope you are right to be this trusting, in my experience all the parents of teens I know had a very rude awakening sooner or later. If yours are adults and never drank, great for you and them, more likely you don't have teens or are deceived by them all the time. That is the only difference I see, parents that are aware that their kids are going to do stupid things and those that bury their heads in the sand. I'd rather not be an ostrich. If your kids are young and you are just talking out of your........maybe try to learn something so you don't get a call from ER where you kid is with alcohol poisoning, I know 4 kids from a good school, good families that survived and you would never think these kids were that stupid, all look like goody two shoes. So, wipe that smirk off your face, and count your blessings that your kids didn't get caught, if you have kids.

Your kids are going away in a few months and you can’t even trust them not to drink at family events. Parenting fail! You have officially oversheltered to the point that your children have failed to learn.

I would not serve alcohol at a high school graduation party.

Anonymous wrote:I have been to no alcohol at all and I have been to parents who serve it to everyone. I prefer the no alcohol at all.

Are you under the impression that these are the only two options?

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Seriously? Of course the adults are allowed to socialize and have a drink. Do you withhold every time you have families over?

Do you have to drink every time you socialize? No one is saying they aren't allowed but the op is worried about 17 and 18 years drinking at her party and then her being responsible.

If you can't go ONE event without alcohol than you are an alcoholic or have serious drinking problem. If you can't live without it, drink before or after.

And if your kid, and the kids at the party, can't be trusted to not pilfer drinks

Are you seriously sating that if you high school kids at a party, no alcohol should be served? So when I have a BBQ with 2 families, no beer? At our annual 4th of july party, not wine?

That's idiotic.

You didn't come on here to ask any opinions about your BBQ so I didn't and won't offer any advice on what you serve. You can do whatever you want.

So let's be clear - your position is that any party that has children in attendance should not serve alcohol?

If the kids can't be trusted they shouldn't be there.

What have you done the other 18 years????

Anonymous wrote:For me the concern is not the kids sneaking alcohol, it is that the guest of honor will not be enjoying it. If my grad was a vegetarian I would not plan a burger party. If he has a dairy allergy I would not serve ice cream. He does not drink alcohol so we will have his favorites..root beer or Orange Soda or water!

Right, but you can have the root beer, orange soda whatever for the guest of honor AND drinks your adult guests would enjoy as well. Is it such a horrible temptation to have alcohol floating around the guest of honor?

We've hosted several HS graduation parties. Always served alcohol - used bartenders - and had zero issues. We had a separate station for the kids with infused water and lemonade and ice tea.

However, I think it would depend on the guest list. For the parties we hosted it was the whole family invited - grad plus parents and grandparents, etc. so the ratio of adults to kids was more adults. If it was all kids invited and a handful of adults stopping by, I wouldn't serve alcohol.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never been to a HS grad part without beer and wine.

I feel like this thread belongs with the Mormons.

I don't disagree but seriously how do you keep the 18 year olds from indulging? My kids I can watch but what about all the friends?

We've had a full bar at some parties we have hosted with hired help, including a bartender. HS graduation will fall under the big party with hired help category.

When we've had smaller parties, it's not like alcohol is all over the place. It's in one area (behind the bar). Its not like the kids would go undetected getting I to the booze.

Anonymous wrote:For me the concern is not the kids sneaking alcohol, it is that the guest of honor will not be enjoying it. If my grad was a vegetarian I would not plan a burger party. If he has a dairy allergy I would not serve ice cream. He does not drink alcohol so we will have his favorites..root beer or Orange Soda or water!

Lololol! My daughter and I are vegetarian. She is graduating next year. I absolutely will serve meat. I also served her guests meat on her sweet 16, along with making some of her favorite foods. I also severed the adults alcohol, as the party included our very large Indian family.

Anonymous wrote:I am interested in this too. I e-mailed the venue and caterer about this. They offer soda, lemonade as an option. Most of us are fine without alcohol, but SIL loves her wine. To be honest I am uncomfortable with serving alcohol at the party I am throwing. Teens still always find a way to sneak it, always. I hope the venue doesn't offer alcohol for purchase. I wonder what the venue policy is about it.

Update on our party. Venue and the caterer said we can bring alcohol and whatever else we want, cake, food, etc... Given that over 50 guests will be underage kids and the rest adult family and friend, I don't think buying alcohol is worth it. I would love to tell you that my kids and their friends would not just grab a beer, but I would be lying. If SIL and other adult guests want to drink there is a bar within walking distance and they can bring their own. I am not spending a party policing HS kids and being blamed by their parents. They will sneak it anyway, but hopefully not too much. I am the pp that has kids and their friend that are considered "responsible!" by other parents. Yeah, right.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:For me the concern is not the kids sneaking alcohol, it is that the guest of honor will not be enjoying it. If my grad was a vegetarian I would not plan a burger party. If he has a dairy allergy I would not serve ice cream. He does not drink alcohol so we will have his favorites..root beer or Orange Soda or water!

its not an alcohol themed party. it is a graduation party at which there is alcohol. If you serve pigs in blankets it doesn't make it a pig in blanket party. If my kid was a vegetarian I would also serve meat because some of the guests might enjoy it, much like they might enjoy a glass of wine.

Never said it was an alcohol party, just not something the guest of honor would enjoy. If my guest of honor was Kosher, I would not care if others would enjoy bacon. They can enjoy it another time, Alcohol is just not so important in my circle...

DP. So, you only serve food/drinks that your 'guest of honor' enjoys? I'm not a vegetarian nor do I keep kosher but I make sure I have food/drinks that my guests can partake in even if my 'guest of honor' doesn't enjoy them. I'm teaching my kids that even when they're the one being honored, they cannot be blind to the needs/wants/desires of their guests. I've got a senior who will be graduating and we will have beer/wine for the adults because that's typical for our gatherings - even kids' birthday parties. But, you do you.

Apparently it is important in you circle. You should teach your child your family needs alcohol at parties...

I see, even as an adult, you have failed to learn the difference between 'want' and 'need'. We 'want' alcohol served at our gatherings. It is not a 'need' but I see no compelling reason to treat a HS graduation open house different than all the other celebrations we have. If alcohol were an important part of our entertaining, I'd certainly spend more on it than I do. There would be more of it, more variety and it would be of higher quality. Since it's not 'important', we have mid-priced beer and mid-priced red/white wine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never been to a HS grad part without beer and wine.

I feel like this thread belongs with the Mormons.

I don't disagree but seriously how do you keep the 18 year olds from indulging? My kids I can watch but what about all the friends?

We were just at an end of season party where they house had a FULL bar. Kids were fine and mostly seniors. I really don't get the pearl clutching. Do you know these kids or not?

Anonymous wrote:I would have a bartender and say anyone that looks under 49 is carded. Problem solved.

That's what we did. The bartender was only serving alcoholic drinks. Water, soda and mocktails were served at a seperate location.