Let Her Go To the Party

Can I go to the Y-Party?

That was often my phrase on Wednesday for the fun taking place on Friday when I was in the 7th and 8th grade. I had long since learned what my dad’s expectations of me were. Get good grades, complete my chores on time, and keep a clean room throughout the week. If I was capable of those things he couldn’t tell me no. He would say, “Do what you need to do so you could do what you want to do.”

My dad instilled character and the way I should be as a lady early on. “Don’t let anybody feel you up! When you come home, I’ll be dusting you for finger prints!” Ha! I was always on my best behavior. I was there to have a good time and he always told me I could do that without alcohol or sneaking off with anybody. And he was absolutely right. I partied through middle school and high school that by the time I hit college, I was all partied out.

Set the standard in your household, but don’t hold your daughter back from having a good time. Responsibility builds character and the opportunity to socialize builds personal identity. If you tighten the reigns too much, when away at college, she will have access to every party, drug, and boy imaginable. It is best that she experiences this under your guidance and supervision, so she knows what to do and how to act when she’s not.