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Most teenagers have spent their whole life dreaming of their prom night. The dresses, the flowers, the limo and everything else makes it an exciting night not just for the teen but a proud moment for mom and dad as they see their child grow up. However, prom night also comes with it a lot of concerns from promiscuous dressing to drinking and driving. Kids In The House has interviewed the best teen experts from across the country to help your teen avoid common prom pressures so they can have the night they have always dreamed of! Check out these top four tips for how to prepare them for prom:

1. Make sure your teen dresses his or her age. Sometimes when we see these teenagers going to prom, it looks as if they are in their mid-twenties! Fashion trends are encouraging teenagers, especially girls, to dress as if they are a lot older. Girls are wearing shorter and tighter dresses that are often too inappropriate for their age. Dr. Wendy Walsh encourages parents to start teaching their kids by setting a good example. Then go out and look for stuff. “It is possible to find things that are trendy and in-fashion and not too sexy,” explains Dr. Walsh.

2. Teach your teen how to say “no” to sex. Prom night has notoriously been known as a night for teen couples to have sex. For many of them, especially girls, it’s important that they don’t feel pressure to have sex. Parents can help their daughters resist that pressure by teaching them that they can say “no” without feeling guilty. Dr. Jerry Weichman shares that parents need to instill in their daughters a sense of empowerment and to teach their daughters how to say “no.” “You have to give your daughter a few words to use because she will say ‘no’ and a guy will say ‘but don´t you like me, don´t you respect me. ‘And her response should be ‘if you like me, then you would respect me and I am saying no,” 

3. Avoid allowing your teen to attend an after party. Many teens decide to attend a party after prom where many of them consume alcohol and drugs. This tradition has made prom night one of the most dangerous nights for teenagers as it leads to many drunk driving accidents and fatalities. Parents need to ensure their teens are making responsible choices on prom night and not encourage bad decisions by allowing them to host parties at their home. Dr. Weichman discourages every parent from having a party at their house. "I think the parents that are hosting need to understand is that it's a huge liability for them,” says Dr. Weichman. “If they provide alcohol or if the kids bring it in and drink it under their roof, they are liable for everything that happens.” Also, some high schools even host official after prom parties where there are fun activities and chaperones present to supervise the event.

4. Have a zero tolerance policy if your teen is caught drinking. Make sure you establish a zero tolerance policy with your teenager to prevent them from drinking. Many teens will use prom night as an excuse to drink, but it should not be an exception under any circumstances. If your teen is caught drinking, make sure to have established disciplinary measures so they can understand the dangerous implications of their actions. “Studies are showing that the earlier the teens are exposed to substances, the greater the likelihood they have of having an addiction throughout the rest of their life,” says Dr. Weichman. “So at this early stage in development, I think it's really imperative that parents have a zero tolerance stance.”

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Do you have questions you want to ask our experts?

Join our live #KITHangout this Thursday, May 21st “PROM PRESSURES: Keeping Your Teen Safe on Prom Night” for a live Q&A discussion! We will be joined by Dr. Wendy Walsh, Dr. Jerry Weichman, and StayTeen.org! Start tweeting your questions with the hashtag #KITHangout!

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