BEING A RESPONSIBLE PARTY HOST
When we celebrate with friends and family and enjoy food and drink, we need to be aware of our responsibilities as hosts of the party. Sometimes these events result in behavior by people we know that is regretted in the morning. If you are hosting a party, you could become liable for the actions of your guests if these actions are found to be caused by over use of alcohol served at your home or business. Here are some suggestions for avoiding this liability.
1. Control access to the alcohol you provide.
Avoid serving from common sources such as kegs or punch bowls. Consider hiring a trained professional to serve drinks at your party. Be sure that whoever does pour the drinks is not consuming alcohol and monitors other guests' consumption.
2. Offer soft drinks, fruit juices, bottles water and coffee so that your guests have an alternative to alcohol.
3. Only allow guests to have one drink at a time. Discourage competitive or rapid drinking.
4. Provide plenty of appetizers, snacks and other food.
5. Plan entertainment and other activities so that dinking alcohol is not the primary focus of the party.
6.Request identification form anyone who appears 30 year of age or younger. Guests who cannot present a valid form of ID should not be given any alcohol.
7.Model appropriate behavior for your guests and be sure to communicate that becoming intoxicated is unacceptable.
8.Stop serving alcohol beverages at least one hour before the party ends. Encourage guests to stay for a while and enjoy a soda or coffee.
9. Make sure anyone who is visibly intoxicated does not receive any more alcohol and is not left alone. Even if the guest is not driving, an impaired guest can be injured or injure others in many ways, not just in a car.
10. When necessary, provide alternate transportation for impaired guests. Either call a cab or enlist the help of sober friends to take the impaired guest home.
By using these suggestions, you can help prevent intoxication, and insure that your friends have a good time not just at your party but after your party too.
Websites for Kids
www.mammedia.com -- MAMAMEDIA-features a variety of fun and creative activities for kids, along with a search tool that links to a collection of Web sites for children 10 and younger.
www.safesurf.com/ -- Kid's Wave features a partial list-organized by age-appropriateness-of sites that have received the SafeSurf seal of approval.
www.pbskids.org -learning website just for kids up to six years from the leader in preschool education
Websites for Parents
www.casafamilyday.org/familyday/ One of the best helps to youth development is for the entire family to eat dinner (or another meal) together daily. Learn how some families do this.
www.theantidrug.com - information, conversation starters, networking to help for parents and caregivers
www.notnrhouse.org - Tip sheets for parents, teachers, school personnel and coaches;
Parent Resource Center: located at the Kilbourn Public Library
Most recent additions
Stick Figure: A Diary of My Former Self, Lori Gottlieb-young girl's "diary" as she battles anorexia, 2004
Family First: Your Step-by-Step Plan for Creating a Phenomenal Family, Dr. Phil McGraw, 2004
Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls , Rachael Simmons, 2004 A look at how girls express their aggression
Why Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen, David Walsh, Ph.D, 2004 gives a good overview of the physical changes going on in the brains of adolescents
Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know About the Emerging Science of Sex Differences, Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph.D., 2005 explores the myths, and facts about the differences between boys and girls and how that affects how they learn
Boys and Girls Learn Differently! A Guide for Teachers and Parents, Michael Gurian, 2001, more detailed information about the differences in how boys and girls learn differently