It's Prom Season

In the life of every high school girl are a few big moments, and one of those biggest moments is the prom. As prom season approaches, picking out the perfect dress for the most important school dance of the year is the high school equivalent of preparing to walk the red carpet at the Oscars. It's a rite of passage, a ritual that prefigures the selection of the wedding dress.

The Prom started in the 1920’s in the US and is the classic American rite of passage for students from all walks of life. One of the functions of the prom, planned from almost the very start, was to bring together people from all financial standings and heritage.

The word “prom” comes from the French word promenade, which means walk or stroll. In the South, early in the twentieth century, it was considered inappropriate to dance with men that you were not married to, so the girls would take short, chaperoned promenades around the block with their dates.

We all know today's Proms are different. There are so many logistics ~ limos need to be booked, tuxes rented, and plans finalized. All of these things have to go through one source I told my daughter - me. Oh yeah and your Dad.

It’s a magical time of year. Magical for teens, perhaps, but mystifying for Prom moms. My heart goes out to all of you who, like me, who will struggle with their teens about this important rites-of-passage when, in their minds, all rules are up for debate and renegotiation. Remember Moms...Hold your ground!

So many decisions to make. Makeup, shoes, hairstyle, nails, what clutch, the right bra, the date's boutonniere, dinner beforehand, where to hang out afterwards? It all had to be perfect, this is my only prom she told me.

The whole prom season thing makes me a little reflective. I remember my junior and senior proms like they were yesterday, or maybe last week.... My boyfriend and I had an amazing time and it was a great way to end those last years of my high school experience and I wanted to her to have the same.

But, gosh, have things changed since I was a teen getting ready for prom season. For one thing, prom night begins a lot earlier, because you have to get your one of a kind dress early before all the good ones are gone! I think I got mine the week before. And unlike my prom night when the only audience around to witness my big night were my parents and a bunch of neighborhood kids, now there are pre-adult parties with cocktails and hors d'œuvre - for the adults that is.

And what’s this I hear about renting two limos? I don't care if others are renting buses, condos and hotel rooms for after prom partying and sleepovers for their prom night teens and their friends? WHAT!? Certainly, my generation of prom goers tried staying out all night, or tried to stay out as late as possible without being grounded when you arrived home. But parents renting a place for an after party where those who want can crash and sleep over? Wow!

I know some will say that it makes sense because it keeps drunk teens from getting behind steering wheels. But hotels? Really? Whatever happened to "just girl" sleepovers?

So, I kept my comments to myself, because for everything there is a season. A time to listen, a time to teach and a time to pray that what you’ve taught her for the last 16 years will be heard.