Teen’s First Overnight Trip
Whether it be a major field trip, a session at sleep-away camp, an overnight sporting event or a trip with a friend’s family, at some point, your teens or preteens are going to leave the local area without you present. When this happens, it’s important to prepare them to be on their best behavior and avoid any trouble that might occur.
1. Get Organized
The first and most important aspect of preparing your teen for a trip is ensuring that he or she packs everything that might be needed. This includes weather-appropriate clothing, first-aid, toiletries, prescription and non-prescription medication, and any special foods, paperwork, passports and identification cards that might be required. Don’t leave your teen to take care of this alone. Many teens will focus on bringing the most stylish clothing and completely forget the more important items.
2. Talk About What’s Expected
If you have an itinerary for the trip, go over it with your teen and talk about what is expected each step of the way. Discuss any potential issues, such as what your teen might do if he or she were to become separated from the group. If the field trip involves a visit to any special places, such as war memorials or museums, be sure to discuss the proper etiquette for these locations.
3. Provide a List
We can help our teens pack for the road, but once they are out there, they are essentially on their own. There will be adults present, but when it comes to things like packing up hotel rooms, it will be helpful for your teen to have a list of important items to check and ensure nothing gets left behind.
4. Make Sure You Can Get in Touch
In an emergency, the teachers, chaperones or supervising adults will get in touch with you. However, it’s still a good idea to make sure your teen knows that your cell phone will be on the whole time. Most teens have cell phones these days, and they shouldn’t be afraid to use the in a moment of homesickness, confusion or trouble. Remind your teen that it’s important to respect authority, but it’s also okay to call home if anything fishy is going on. Unfortunately, adults can’t always be trusted.
5. Relax
It’s natural to be a little nervous, but you’ve raised your child well, and it’s okay to let go and trust that everything will be okay. Most teens go on overnight trips without any problems, and by allowing this to happen, you can build trust between the two of you. If nothing else, you’ve earned a night on your own, so be sure to enjoy it!
