We have five-concert safety rules that you can share with your child so that they can have lots of fun while you can keep your peace of mind.
The exciting thing about being a teenager is that there are all kinds of milestones to look forward to. The first time you drive a car. The first time you go on a date. Even the first time that you get to go to a concert without adult supervision.
If you are the parent of that teen, you might not initially be as thrilled as they are. Whenever we let our children go out on their own, we’re aware of some risk involved.
This doesn’t mean that you have to sit looking out the window until your son or daughter returns home from their favorite artist’s show.
We have five-concert safety rules that you can share with your child so that they can have lots of fun while you can keep your peace of mind.
Stick together.
It’s a lot harder for anything to happen when kids are in a group.
So, tell your teen that it is imperative that they stay with the people they went to the show with the entire time and that when they need to go to the bathroom or they want to purchase some food or a souvenir they take someone along with them.
Stay inside.
Depending on how big the venue is, there are a lot of places that will not allow you to leave the concert premises and then come back in unless you have your ticket stub.
While there really is no reason for your teen to be going in and out of the building, at least make sure they know to keep their ticket with them at all times.
They definitely don’t need to be outside alone for hours on end.
Keep cell phone on vibrate.
Until your teen becomes an adult, they need to be reachable at all times.
Make it clear that it is imperative that their cell phone stays on vibrate and that if you call, they need to call you back within 10 minutes or at least text you to let you know they are fine.
Android Central offers a great editorial on putting the cellphone on vibrate.
No drinking or sharing drinks with strangers.
Whether it’s the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville or the Toyota Center in Houston, while most concert venues card for things like beer and wine, it’s still not that hard for teenagers to get someone else to purchase the drink.
Therefore, don’t assume that you don’t need to “put it on record” that your teen does not need to drink while they’re out.
Also, let them know that it’s not acceptable to share drinks with people they don’t know, either. (That’s one way to possibly end up with more than alcohol in their systems).
Call if they need to.
While it would be nice if all teenagers had parents who are as concerned about their children as you are, that’s not necessarily the case.
So, if your child senses for any reason that they would prefer to not get back into the car with the people they came with or if those individuals have other plans than going to the concert, let your teen know that you are always available to pick them up. Every teen needs to believe in the security of a parent’s reliability.
It’s absolutely one of the best ways for them to feel safe.