<p>At my school, there was ‘grad camping’ right after graduation (which happens way before exams and is basically like a prom/senior ball + ceremony in the morning). All the students go out camping together. </p>
<p>Since the drinking age is 18 here, basically everyone got really smashed and there are rumours that ‘things’ happened between students who had been in long term relationships. There were no noise violations or anything, but I guess some of the behaviour was immoral if you lean that way. I don’t know what my parents will say or if I’ll go, but I will note a lot of ‘good’ kids, with perfect marks, ECs, leadership went. It’s more of a ‘letting your hair down’ kind of thing.</p>
<p>This is a FOUR year old thread- but I responded cause dammit, I want a beach week!
Strolling on the beach wrapped in a sarong sipping fruity drinks is wasted on the young, methinks.</p>
<p>I’m with you there…it’s the parents who NEED beach week…it’s wasted on the young IMO! But I do like one of the first posters who said to the OP “Are you insane?”</p>
<p>Momofthreeboys- I’m enjoying your posts tonight! As someone who has just been re-invaded by hungry people who stay up all night and use up all of the house resources, I loved your “empty nest” post, and now have to agree with Emeraldkittythat “beach week” is wasted on the young. Also have to agree with the “Are you insane?” comment LOL. I feel so jaded, rolling my eyes at the “But my children are different! They’re responsible!” posts.</p>
<p>I guess one of the advantages of being poor is that the kids no with certainty that there is no money for a week fling to Jamaica or otherwise. And since we are poor, we don’t know of any friends that own beach houses.</p>
<p>But full disclosure, HS graduation was a non-event in our household because it was just expected. Small congratulations, sure, but week-long party for a teenager? Heck no.</p>
<p>My oldest certainly did not have a " beach week".
She worked as riding staff at a residential camp practically as soon as she graduated.
Youngest worked two jobs to cover her volunteer vacation in India. However, I admit that she did spend a month in Goa when she turned 19. ( Not part of the original itinerary) This was her favorite beach.
[Palolem</a> Beach | Beaches | Goa | India - Beaches in Goa](<a href=“http://beachesingoa.com/goa-beaches-palolem-beach/]Palolem”>http://beachesingoa.com/goa-beaches-palolem-beach/)</p>
<p>Our senior week this year ended in a horrible tragedy in the early morning hours right before graduation. A boy died of alcohol poisoning.</p>
<p>We live on an island so beach week is actually the last week of school. Seniors are done with classes but go to school for a few hours each morning for graduation practice. Parents rent beach houses and unsupervised seniors spend the last week of school going to the beach and partying. When older DD graduated two years ago, she hung out at the beach and visited houses but came home very night. </p>
<p>Alcohol poisoning can happen at any time. Common sense says that allowing a group of celebrating seniors to be unsupervised for a week is asking for trouble. It ended very sadly this year. It remains to be seen if senior week will change because of the death.</p>
<p>In our area, kids from my daughter’s high school and a lot of the other local schools, all suburban schools, go to Ocean City, MD for senior week. In fact at my daughter’s high school you would be hard pressed to find a kid who doesn’t go. Sure, I had to give it a lot of thought and think about potential risks, but In trust my daughter, and I said earlier, I think it is critically important for parents to step back and allow their semi-adult kids some freedom and decision-making. At 18 (or in some cases 17), these “kids” are really young adults and parents need to quit protecting them from everything. Most kids will make smart decisions and few mistakes. I have spoken to my daughter everyday, I have followed the week on social media, and I think overall, the kids are handling it very well. I liked hearing about how they are taking turns doing the dishes, and yes, had to chuckle when I got a call asking how to heat up one of the frozen meals a mom sent down. Ocean City, MD is over run with newly graduated seniors this time of year and they have programs in place to offer safe activities for the kids. My daughter and her friends have enjoyed free rides, free miniature golf, free karaoke, and also were given free wrist bands to ride the local busses free all week. The only “bad”, maybe semi-funny, story I heard all week is about the group of boys from her hs that included the valedictorian and salutatorian who got thrown out of their condo for making too much noise. I just think that we as a society have become overly controlling, coddling, helicopter parents to our grown children. I am comfortable with my decision - I think it has been a great experience for my daughter, one she will remember for the rest of her life.</p>
<p>just think that we as a society have become overly controlling, coddling, helicopter parents to our grown children</p>
<p>I was more comfortable with my 18 yr old daughter going to India for five months by herself , seven months after her high school graduation ( the delay was needed for her to earn her way), than I would allowing her to spend a week surrounded by young adults desperate to prove that they are " adult" and who overindulge in sex & substances in order to do so.</p>
<p>Both my S’s did a Spring Break week beach trips(3 hours from home) with big groups of friends when they were seniors. I’m sure lots of mayhem ensued but they survived and learned some lessons. Nobody got hurt or arrested. Both S’s groups included boys and girls who had been close friends all through h.s. </p>
<p>Where DID S1 get in trouble for underage drinking? 4th of July after freshman year of college about three miles from home.</p>
<p>I’m relieved to read your messages, AAcheermom, about your daughter as my son just left for OC this morning. I’m sure I’ll be holding my breathe a little all week long, but basically I agree with your sentiments. Hopefully I won’t have any good stories to tell next week. Fingers crossed.</p>
<p>EK, Yikes, I wish I hadn’t just read that article in the Bethesda Magazine!!</p>
<p>Encourage him to check out the playitsafeoceancity activities. There is a lot of free safe things they can do. My daughter comes home tomorrow morning. While I feel good about my decision to let her go, I will breathe a sigh of relief when she gets home tomorrow.</p>
<p>Senior week at OCMD is very common here but S’s friends did not go. None of them were allowed, instead we all took family vacations. S thought he’d like to go for 1 or 2 nights, but the prospect of a whole week of drinking and partying was not appealing to him.</p>
<p>I totally agree that we need to let our children make their own mistakes and be their own adults. I just don’t think that putting thousands of them unsupervised in a town away from home with copious amounts of alcohol (and who knows what else) is the right way. That’s like throwing the baby in the water to teach him to swim.</p>
<p>There are plenty of other opportunities for my kids to make good/bad choices about what they want to do socially. Our salutatorian was arrested a few years ago and I know of several other kids who got charges they had to fight or deal with from senior week. It’s just not worth the risk IMHO.</p>
<p>I guess you just need to know your kids and your own comfort level with letting them test the waters. I was pretty confident that my daughter would make smart choices, and overall she did. She also learned that she is at the age that I am not going to be there every step of the way telling her what she can and cannot do - that was healthy for both of us. She is not a child anymore and I respect that.</p>
<p>“they wanted to rent …” this is the key phrase. They are not old enough to rent. Since no one will rent to them, the decision has been made for them.</p>
<p>At 18, which I do consider an adult, I do not prevent them from doing things. If it involves my car (my property) I do have say-so, likewise my money. Vacation arrangements will have to be something they can afford and book on their own.</p>
