#8: Been through it (Senior Week) several times. A lot of drinking occurs throughout the week. Doesn’t matter what you tell them or how great, mature etc. your student is…it’s everywhere all week long. You have to prepare them to be safe, no jaywalking, stay together, check in etc. It is really hard to say no after they have looked forward to it for four years and their siblings have gone. Many, many underage drinking citations are given even if you do not have any alcohol with you or if you haven’t been drinking. The police can give groups of kids citations if one has alcohol and they are all together as a group or at a party. The only way to stay 100% safe is not to go at all.
#7: Our son went to Beach Week with his friends and was told by his Dad not to come back with any tattoos or piercings, knowing that he didn’t have a fake ID and he wouldn’t be 18 years old for several months. The boys were turned away by shop owners so after a few drinks one of his friends decided to pierce our son’s lip with a safety pin. The next day they went back to one of the shop owners who said he would only fix it because it should never have been done. He told me on the phone before I arrived to pick them up. His Dad made it clear that his bed was on the stone porch until the piercing was removed. At midnight he was in the garage looking for the snips to get it off his face so he could sleep in his own bed!
#6: Mixed results. One of my kids had a blast. Another came home early…too much drama. Another opted for a trip to Europe with a class. Ocean City Police are very tough on kids. Public drinking and driving. Noise violations. Disturbing the peace. The City makes a ton of money on fines and court appearances. In my opinion, it depends on your kid, their friends, and the destination. There are destinations beyond Ocean City.
#5: I went but it was 22 years ago and I escaped with no lasting damage. Not sure how I feel about my girls going. My younger brother went 11 years ago and saw a pedestrian get hit by a car speeding and running a red light. That’s stayed with him all these years. I’ll never forget how bad he was shaking. Bottom line is you can do all the right things, take the bus, stay in a group, don’t pass out from drinking, and you try to cross the road and some idiot is driving drunk, hits and kills you. There are fun things to do and most kids come home unharmed. No right answer.
#4: I’d share my stories but I don’t remember them. One morning I woke up and my tongue was pierced!!!
#3: My son had a great time but told us when he got home some of the crazy things that went on that week. Had I known what went on in OC during Senior Week I would never have let him go. When it was my daughter’s turn the following year, we had her invite a friend and we went to Disney. Not worth the risk!
#2: I allowed my daughter to go. Her friend invited several boys they didn’t know back to their place late one night. They had agreed in advance not to allow strangers in their condo but the girl had been drinking. The boys stole several of the girl’s items including my daughter’s wallet. She was stuck 3 hours from home with no license, cash, or credit cards. Luckily, one of the other girls lent her money for the remainder of the week. We were out $300 and had to cancel the credit card and replace the license when she got home. This ruined her week and caused a lot of friction between the girls in the condo.
#1: For a family I know, Senior Week ruined their lives. Their student partied the whole week and had very little sleep. Driving home exhausted but sober at the end of the trip with a car full of friends, they fell asleep behind the wheel and crossed over the center lane striking an oncoming car. One person lost their life that day and several were seriously injured. The driver lost their college scholarship and in fact did not go to college that fall. They were tied up with court cases and legal issues. This situation impacted so many lives. The parents of the driver and the siblings have suffered tremendously and it has torn the family apart. The driver feels enormous guilt and this has changed their lives forever.
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