A teenage house party can be a nightmare for parents. Parties thrown without parent approval or knowledge can result in problems, and possible accidents. House parties are usually a recipe for disaster when the invitations are sent out on social media, and if there is booze and drugs on the premises then someone is bound to get hurt. No matter how hard the task may seem, parents need to stay on top of the problem to keep all the teens involved safe. 

The safe way is for parents to stay informed about any party at home, so that they can be around during the preparations and avoid any mishap during the excitement. However, this is not a fool proof method. Most teens wouldn't want their parents around during a party to begin with. As odd as it may seem, one of the easiest ways to ensure that nothing weird is going on at your home while your teen is throwing a party is to show up unannounced. Make sure everything is an order without acting like the police, and then politely exit the same way you came.  

No matter how many precautions parents take, they should be prepared for any possible damage during the party. The best approach should be to hide away valuable objects, set some ground rules for your teen and his/her friends and to get an older child to act as the authority figure while the party is underway.

The best approach is to be cautious. Do not lose sight of any activity and be on the guard for anything that may go wrong. For example:

• Having booze snuck into the parties and then having to deal with drunk teens who would need to be driven home;
• Strangers turning up at the party;
• Neighbors complaining about loud noise and music;
• Teenagers being injured or drunk; and,
• The neighbors calling police

Teenagers would go a long way to hide house parties from their parents. But parents should look out for any possible ‘get together’, which in teen language means a house party with booze and strangers.