Summer is loud. The parties get bigger, the nights get later. Here's what your teenagers need to hear before the season starts.
Pre-gaming, edibles at parties, drinking and driving — and the conversations every parent needs to have before summer gets any louder.
Summer is here. School is out. The kids are out late, friends are everywhere, and the energy is high. For most of our teenagers, it's the best time of the year.
It's also when underage drinking peaks — and when the consequences can be most severe. This article isn't about fear. It's about responsibility. And it starts with an honest conversation that too many of us are putting off.
Pre-gaming: The Danger No One Sees
Pre-gaming — drinking quickly before going out — is one of the most dangerous patterns in teenage drinking, and one of the least discussed. Kids drink fast, in large quantities, in someone's basement or bedroom, before heading out to a party or a friend's house. By the time they arrive somewhere, they may already be in serious trouble.
Parents need to know this is happening — not as a rumor, but as a reality in our community. The first line of defense is simple: lock up your liquor. If it's in your house and it's accessible, it will be found.
Your Home, Your Example
Having teenagers over — even casually, even late at night — is a bigger responsibility than many parents realize. Know who is in your house, know what they're doing, and be present. A teenager who feels genuinely supervised is far less likely to make a dangerous decision than one who feels invisible. If alcohol is at your gathering, you are responsible for what leaves your door.
What Are We Modeling?
Our kids pay attention to far more than we realize. They watch how we celebrate, how we socialize, and how we make decisions. There is nothing wrong with responsible adults enjoying a drink. But it's worth being mindful of the messages we send when alcohol becomes the centerpiece of every gathering or celebration.
The goal isn't to eliminate alcohol from our lives. It's simply to remember that our children are always watching, and often learning more from what we do than what we say.
Drinking and Driving
Drinking and driving ruins lives. Make this a rule in your family — zero ambiguity, no exceptions: do not drive after drinking any alcohol. Not a little. Not just down the block. Never.
Tell your teenager explicitly: if you are ever in a situation where the driver has been drinking — or if you've been drinking yourself — don't be afraid to call me. I won't be mad. I will come get you. Then actually mean it. Don't be mad. The call you get at midnight is so much better than the one you don't.
The Danger Hiding in Plain Sight: Edibles
Cannabis-infused gummies, chocolates, cookies, and candies may not be common at parties — but they exist, and both parents and children need to be aware. When they are present, they are completely indistinguishable from regular snacks. A gummy bear is a gummy bear. A brownie is a brownie. There is no way to tell by looking.
Teach your children this rule clearly and without exception: do not eat loose candy, baked goods, or any food at a party that didn't come from a sealed, store-bought package.
Edibles are far more dangerous than people expect. The effects are delayed — sometimes by an hour or more — meaning someone can consume a very large amount before feeling anything, and then be completely overwhelmed. For a teenager with no tolerance, that can require emergency care.
This is not a conversation to have once and forget. Remind your kids before every party, every gathering, every late night out.
The Conversation That Matters Most
No article, no school assembly, no community message will do what a direct, honest conversation between a parent and child can do. Not a lecture. A real conversation — one where you acknowledge that you know the world your teenager is navigating, that you're not naive, and that you trust them.
Ask them what they've seen. Tell them what you've seen. Have that conversation this week. Before summer gets any louder.
— Awareness, a Project Connect Series · www.projectconnect18.com · info@projectconnect18.com