Beach Week (Senior Week) and Teens Can be a Dangerous Combination

I’ve been writing more regularly lately for The Washington Post, both on food and family, parenting teens and now Travel.

My latest focuses on why I dislike the local senior Beach Week tradition and how we convinced our son to go camping instead.

“Beer and vomit on the walls and carpet. Dishwasher and other appliances destroyed. We did not get our deposit back, which didn’t cover all the damage anyways. She did community service over the summer and eventually got her citation expunged.” This true story from my friend about her daughter’s Beach Week sounds like every parent’s and teen’s post-graduation dream, doesn’t it? Read more.

There was one quote I loved from my friend Robin’s son, Drew Thieme, that had to be cut from the article so I’m sharing it here, as well as the link to read the full article. Even though he completely disagrees with me, I really respect and appreciate Drew’s perspective.

Drew Thieme, a 2013 graduate of Bethesda Chevy Chase High School, said “Beach Week was a time that solidified community bonds. Can Beach Week be elitist? Yes, but BCC is elitist and you are not going to escape that. I remember that many lower income students simply purchased motel rooms and spent most of their time celebrating with the group anyway. Beach week is a community staple, and a community that celebrates together, stays together. My time at Beach Week was cut short. In the middle of Tuesday afternoon, in the thralls of intoxication, I learned that our classmate, the late Josh Davis had passed after being crushed by a tree while riding his bike in a storm. I was at the beach with all of my friends, partying our heads off, and Josh was gone just like that, and he hadn’t even left the neighborhood or taken a sip of beer. Josh’s death has always reminded me that tragedy can strike at any moment, and that is why we need to take chances and live life to the fullest.”

Please also read: Beyond Earbuds and Eye rolls: 9 Ways to Make Travel with Teens Fun. 

Here Andrew, Celia and I are on the beach in Carpinteria, California over spring break 2017. We had to trade in Solomon for Celia’s friend Claire because Solomon’s college spring break didn’t align with Celia’s.

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