Parenting Teenagers

I have to admit, parenting my teenagers has been easier than I ever imagined. One of the hardest things is how other people parent their teenagers! I don't consider myself old fashioned but there are some things that are just not ok in my books.

1. I will never think it's ok to offer a young teenager alcohol.

2. Young teenage boyfriends and girlfriends don;t get to stay the night together unsupervised.

Pretty simple to me, but over the years I have seen so many other parents just allowing this stuff. I know my teenagers might drink and they might have sex, but I am not going to be the one handing over the booze and a place to screw. If they want to do it they are gonna have to figure out how to do it on their own, and since I am constantly checking on them you can bet it's not going to be easy lol

Last night Blake called me and asked to stay at a friends. I said well as long as I can talk to his mom. "Why Mom!" lol the usual response. Because son, I want to know you are going to be where you say, doing what you say. Its a family I know and Blake is a good kid, so I am not too worried but still I want to talk to his mom. So a little while later, Blake texts me "Mom, Jamie is going to stay there too but we will sleep in different rooms. You can talk to Kelly. Ok mom??" Uhhh NO! lol Jamie is Blake's 15year old girlfriend. So no, the answer is no. A few minutes later he calls and says "Ok, Jamie isn't staying, can I stay? You can talk to Kelly" *sigh* Fine...so talk to Kelly (mom of the boy Blake wants to spend the night with) She assures me that they are staying at her place and that Jamie will not be there. So I let him stay. I talk to my kids ALL the time. They have a lot of freedom, because as of yet they aren't out doing things they shouldn't be doing. They know the minute I find out they are doing something they shouldn't be that freedom is gone. I also explain that I think they are way too young for alcohol and sex, and why. They know I drank young, and obviously I had sex young because I have a 21 year old son to prove it lol Anyhow, I can only do what I can do and hope I have given them the tools to say no. If they don;t say no I hope they will be smart about whatever they are doing.

But my thoughts on this whole situation last night were; Was this really OK by the 15 year old girls mom? and the mom of the other boy thought it was ok too? Ok so the kids are going to sleep in separate rooms...umm, I happen to know teenagers stay up all night and parents don't. Do you think those kids are gonna stay in separate rooms after you go to sleep? lol Not likely. Maybe I am old fashioned...

Anyone who knows Blake, knows he is a sweet and pretty innocent young man; I want to keep him that way as long as I can thanks.
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Must update after talking to Blake yesterday lol what really happened

Jamie asked Blake what his plans were for the night. Blake said he was going to stay at Jakes. Jamie said Oh I am going to stay at Jakes too!!! Blake told her that wouldn't be ok with his mom, she said well you won't know if you don't ask lol Blake said Uhh, yes I do lol But she convinced him to ask anyhow. Of course I said no, so I don't even know if the other parents ever knew of this little scheme.