Horror stories of ruthless house-trashing by teenage miscreants have understandably caused parents to be more than a little hesitant to allow their children free reign of the family home when it comes to parties.
Yet function rooms' extortionate fees coupled with fears of teens roaming the streets means that more are willing to consider the possibility of opening the house to hordes of party-goers.
Although it may be surprising to the more sceptical adults, plenty of young people are over-anxious about playing host.
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Generally, if teenagers trust their friends, the real concern is gate-crashers. Modern party etiquette deems that extending a guest list to embrace friends-of-friends is almost obligatory but excluding genuinely unwanted elements remains problematic.
Event halls often supply bouncers and although these are reputedly sometimes unwilling to intervene in bouts of trouble, they at least prevent the host from having to draft in their own doormen.
Those reluctant to leave the door unmanned are forced either to recruit their more physically intimidating friends or decide whether their social standing can face having parents on hand.
Unless particularly obtrusive - or desperate to relive their forgotten youth - parents do not necessarily kill the atmosphere. After attending a low-key affair where one friend broke her arm and having no-one to consult but the faceless operator of NHS Direct, it is clear that parents (or preferably older siblings) can be welcome in certain circumstances.
Respecting parents' no-party policy is critical to maintaining healthy relationships but those willing to have an open house for their own friends should surely extend this freedom to their children, as long as they try to ensure their party does not verge on the riot and damage infamously portrayed in Skins!
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