CITYWIDE Spring break — a time when many college students across the country spend their five-day break from classes by downing beer after beer and laying out on the sand.
But for parents, spring break can be their worst nightmare — a time when they might see their son end up behind bars in a south-of-the-border prison cell or their daughter flashing her chest to a “Girls Gone Wild” film crew.
There are precautionary steps that parents can take before their kids leave with their suitcases packed for a week of debauchery in the sun, according to Jim Boyle, president of the College Parents of America.
It all starts with communication. “Have a conversation with your child with clear and realistic expectations about spring break,” Boyle said. “Ideally, it’s a conversation that happened a long time ago and not now.”
One of the most important things parents should do is address the issue of alcohol and drug use during spring break. Remind college kids of the health risk and legal ramifications that come with underage and binge drinking and drug use, Boyle said.
College kids who are headed to Mexico and other popular international spring break locations should be reminded by their parents that if they engage in some illegal activity, it won’t be too easy to bail them out.
“Be extremely careful about not breaking the law and not getting into an unfamiliar situation because of the difficulty in being able to reach each other,” he said.
Parents should try to encourage their children to see spring break as a time for community service activity, something that can be both fun and productive. It’s a time when they could interact with friends through community service, meet new people, and also make a contribution to the local community, Boyle said.
Though parents are encouraged to keep the lines of communication open, they should steer clear of telling stories about their own spring break escapades.
There’s no need to instill wild and crazy ideas in such impressionable minds.
“It isn’t helpful to say ‘back in the spring break when I drank a case of beer,’” Boyle said. “Some things are better left unsaid.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 24, 2007. Read the original PDF.