Midnight son

Kids. They grow up so fast! Like to know how fast? A 24-year-old drives his kid brother to a girl’s twelfth birthday. The party’s in the well-heeled Melbourne suburb of Brighton. When the man returns to collect his brother several hours later, he sees pre-teens (i.e. children) staggering round the front yard, vomiting profusely on…

Tampons don’t go there

In my professional dealings with thousands of teenagers at hundreds of parties, I’ve learnt the myriad ways kids handle their ‘hidden treasures’. When it comes to alcohol, I’ve seen them: Bury cans in the ground. Strap bottles to their body. ‘Pre load’ (binge drink) before entering an event. Stuff alcohol-filled zip-lock bags into their bras…

Help your kids celebrate safely

It’s that time of year again. Exams finish in a few weeks. Schoolies and end-of-year parties are just around the corner. Parents are really stressing. How do I know? Because I’ve planned and worked at more than 500 teen events. And because I have an 18-year-old daughter of my own. Freak-out season Parents are extremely…

Unhappy Halloween

While Western Australia is in election mode, teen parties continue to cause havoc in the community – creating nights more terrifying than any Halloween. Yet this horror is well within our power to control. An ounce of prevention … I’ve always believed a proactive, preventative solution is far better than a passive reaction. To this…

A peek at your destiny

There are some things you just don’t want to spend money on. Insurance, dental work and red-light camera fines spring to mind. These expenses sure ain’t fun, but failing to cover them can cost you a whole lot more down the track. Unfortunately, these days, security for your party is another ‘unfun-but-necessary’ purchase. I know…

The rise of the ‘hatecrasher’

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMe8OYi0c_4] Young. Strong. Spiteful. Vicious. Terrifying. When it comes to gatecrashers, I’ve seen it all. But now I’m witnessing a new level of violence – fuelled by a blind, searing hatred of everyone and everything. This disturbing shift is so pronounced, I’m calling these intruders ‘hatecrashers’. This word isn’t in any dictionary. But if…

Why each parent should have 20 kids

As teen parties get bigger, riskier and more elaborate, host parents are finding there’s extra help at hand: other parents and responsible (i.e. mature, sober) adults. This is good news, as parents planning teen events need all the help they can get. They also need to realise some really important points. Key among these is…

It’s NO ‘accident’!

In my view, an accident is something you have no control over. If, for instance: you’re driving a car; a large spider drops on you from behind the sun visor and you crash into a tree, that’s an accident. If, on the other hand: you’re rushing and driving at speed; you tailgate the car in…

100 is enough!

As our communities struggle to cope with the rise of teen parties, we now have a popularity contest: 100 guests (or more) is the new way to be cool and hip! Yes, teen parties are getting bigger. I’m now regularly speaking to parents planning 150+ guest events for kids as young as 14! Yesterday I…

Death rattle

What’s up, Western Australia?! From what we’ve read these last few months, you really are dying to have fun. Since the start of March, 40 of your teen parties have hit the media for appalling reasons. In case you’ve been lying drunk in a ditch or king-hit by a bottle, here’s a fool’s guide to…