Did you "party" as a teen? Does your teen party? - Page 2

[Amber Lion]

"partying" for me when I was a teen included going to rock/punk shows, cast parties after theater performances, and a group of friends congragating at someone's house. I wouldn't have said they were "parties" but we partied - almost every night of the week. Drinking, smoking pot, and sex were as hardcore as my group of friends got, though we did plenty of that.

When my parents left us alone (it wasn't often) I might have one or two friends over, but I had siblings who wouldn't have let me get away with a party. We mostly hung out at the houses where the parents joined in or where our friends were older (20's) and were no longer living with their parents. It's too stressful to try and coordinate and pull off a party when your parents are only going to be gone a short time and you've got neighbors. We just didn't bother.

[applejuice]

No, I never partied. I had to work as my parents refused to help me with a car, college, or anything. I also had to babysit my younger sibs. I never, never did any drugs.

I am a big bore.

My four children have been popular in school. They do go to parties and they have also worked. They are good students for the most part.

[Storm Bride]

I missed the part where you asked what the attraction was. Basically...I wanted to be numb. Pot made me numb...alcohol made me numb...acid made me feel connected to something, so I didn't have to be numb. I wasn't worried about the effect on my future, because I fully expected that I'd commit suicide before I was 18.

Since that didn't happen, I really wish I hadn't screwed up my teens quite so badly.

[Ann-Marita]

I didn't really party much as a teen. The first time I got drunk, I was a Junior in college. (OK, I was only 19, but already a Junior.)

I really was a well-behaved teen, for the most part.

My parents left me alone over night when I was 16 to 18 years old. I spent a quiet evening at home, I suppose. I don't really remember it much. I do remember I felt a bit nervous going to bed, so I put a baton (you know, a twirling baton) next to my bed. I'm sure I double checked to make sure all the doors and windows were locked.

The most rebellious thing I did was probably to smoke some pot (which my older sister introduced me to) and have sex with the man that became my husband. But, again, this was after I went away to college.

[Dael]

I never partied, I was never invited to the parties and I didn't had any friends to party with, I was always the black sheep of every class

[Mama Poot]

I never really partied. My friends and I would go to concerts and hang out at Perkins or Denny's and smoke too many cigarettes. We were pretty lame I wish I would have done more, though. I am only 22 but now I'm married with two kids to take care of, and even going out with DH alone to play pool for a few hours exhausts me, so I don't think I'll be partying anytime soon DH drank a lot as a teen, alcohol was always in the house and no one really discouraged drinking. I think people do freak out too much about teen partying. I think its normal and as long as they aren't hurting themselves or others I don't see what the problem is. When my kids are teenagers, I don't mind if they drink a little bit, but they better do it under our roof where I know they won't get hurt, kwim?

[teachermom]

I was a wild child and did a lot of things in my youth that I hope my children do not do. My kids know that I have a rough past that includes drug use, though they do not know the details. I also had a lot of issues with depression and lack of family support. I try to address these issues with my kids. I only have one teen so far and we have talked a lot about self medicating with drugs and drinking. I feel he is a high risk for using because he is bi polar.

[carmel23]

when I reflect on my teen years through college years, I am kind of freaked out. I did a lot of different stuff with my friends and some of it I would take back, most of it I wouldn't... We did drugs. All shapes and sizes. I was never arrested or in re-hab though--I've never been addicted to a drug (well, cigarettes but I've been off those for six years now, with the exception of an occasional European moment...)

I don't know what I'll do with my kids when they're teenagers--I remember a lot of the kids I hung out with were totally motivated and had futures, and others were not very bright at all. I lost a lot of friends to drugs/mental illness (which I think was related to drug use, or the drugs at least triggered it, somehow--maybe it was just another symptom, it is hard to say)--

and that has certainly overshadowed my life and as I grow older, really made me wonder if we were a little less high my friend might still be here.

I hope to give my kids other opportunities, and be closer to them when they're teens than my folks were to me

[Doodlebugsmom]

I partied between the ages of 13 and 19. In high school, I probably drank and got really drunk every few months. Freshman year in college I got raging drunk at least 2 nights/week, and smoked pot nearly every day. I stopped drinking and went to pot exclusively my sophomore year. At the end of sophomore year I got into acid pretty heavily. That lasted for about 4 months. I don't have many regrets. All of that made me who I am today, and I finally like myself.

I did most of those things due to low self-esteem. It helped in some way. I hope my kids don't have the need to find self-esteem through sex and drugs. I don't mind if they experiment with alcohol and pot. I just hope they wait until college, and I hope they do it responsibly.

[whimsy]

I was a partier. The one thing I wouldn't do was smoke pot or do any harder drugs. Unless you count whiskey and sex as a drug

I started at 16 and stopped around 19 (when I got pregnant with my twins) I'm not sure what the attraction was. I was the popular "good" girl who let her hair down when nobody was looking. I loved being "bad" and getting away with it. OK. I still miss it sometimes.

I'm OK with my girls (who are almost 14 now) partying some, but not as much as I did! I'd really prefer they skip the sex part though. Too much baggage left over from it.

[ani'smama]

I didn't party as a teen(although I had a boyfriend and sneaked out quite often). I was one of the folks on the other thread who said they wouldn't leave their teens alone. I was left alone and invited friends over. It got out of hand, kids getting into my dad's booze, etc.

I drank/smoked pot in college. Never anything more. I would never have tried cocaine or any kind of stimulant. I always though I would be the one to drop dead of a heart attack(I have MVP and too much caffeine makes my heart race), or something like that.

My kids are only 10 and 7, and I'm hoping my parenting choices will pay off. I am a bit nervous about dd2. She is much more of a risk taker by nature.

[funkygranolamama]

I was also a "you got it, I'll take it" kind of teenager. I think alot of mine had to do with the fact that my parents never really discussed the dangers of drugs and alcohol with me. My dad smoked cigs, drank pretty heavily, and wasn't a very good model for health. My parents never sat me down and told me "cigarettes (alcohol, sex, etc) are dangerous and can kill you (hurt you, make you do stupid things, pregnant, std's, etc)", and I think if they had taught me this from a young age I would have been less likely to seek these things out.

My dad always smoked in the car with the windows shut and kept a bottle of Jack opened in his console of his truck. I guess he felt like telling me not to do those same things would make him a hippocrite. All he ever told me was, "when you get to the point that you decide you want to have sex, come to me first so we can talk about it". I had already had sex by that time (at 15), and I was thinking "yeah, right, who goes to their dad and tells them they're going to have sex without worry of him destroying their boyfriend?". So there I was, sex, alcohol, pot, acid, and whatever else was put in my hand or mouth.

I think if we talk with our kids about these things from a young age they will be less likely to do them. I sure am glad I made it through my teen years. My parents had no clue how deep my partying went. My dd watched her grandmother die from lung cancer last year. I have no doubt that she will avoid cigs. My main goal right now is to build her confidence so she won't feel like she has to give in to all these pressures.

[royals95]

Originally Posted by JenniferH

Not as a teen. I was a wallflower/bookworm. I did all my heavy partying in college.

Me too. So did DH. With emphasis on heavy. Wow, now that I really think about it, I wonder how I ever survived and managed to finish my degree :

[Jenny_Jane]

I din't party but I was invited to them!

[BrownEyed]

I spent way too much time partying in my teen years. From the age of 14-18 I spent Friday night, Sat. night, and Sunday during the day doing god knows what. Luckily I wasn't a big drinker, so spent much of the time smoking too much which at the time I considered the lesser evil.

I kept myself busy during college with tons of clubs and a sorority but by the time junior year rolled around I became a crazy partier again.

Now I wonder how I lived through it all when partying to me now is going out to dinner with DH.

[Buddhamom]

DH and I were both big partiers, however we DO leave our 15(sophmore) and 17(senior) yr. old daughters alone over night and have no doubt they will be responsible. However we do let the next door neightbors and family members know we are away in case of an emergency. The rule also is they can NOT go anywhere in their car unless it is to work and no friends are allowed over. Our kids don't tell their friends they are alone because they said if it got out to the wrong kids they might find themselves with a sit. on their hands so they prefer to tell no one at school. Funny how just when I am ready to throttle them they do the right and responsible thing

[ChrisCountryGirl]

As a teen, I've NEVER partied. I stayed home, went to school & had a part-time job.

[Cruella_DeVille]

my hubbs and I did do the wild party stuff as teens, my hubbs more than I ... I had a much more checkered past though haha! Our eldest isn't a partier, I don't know if he would have been had we been different with him or will be when he's 18 but he isn't now (he's the same kid who called me to make sure he could ditch on senior ditch day!). I don't know how our 12-year-old will be in her later teens but I hoping that she emulates her big bro (and I have the same hope for the younger bros ... 9 mos and 2 yrs!).

[chloeM]

Oh yeah did I ever party!! I wish I could take it back though along with alot of other things. I did lots of acid, pcp, meth, and drank lots. It was definatly to self medicating . Ended up preggo at 17, became a single mom at 18 . Didnt do drugs when ds was little, but I still drank a little. Now I dont touch the stuff. I am a total straight edge. My oldest is 11 and I hope he doesnt ever touch the stuff!!!

[dalutheia]

Yeah, I did party, but I was lucky and never had a bad experience with a boy.