Schoolies has arrived. The time of year when all the graduating Year 12's head to their favorite beach for a week of "Schools over for ever, let's party." Now, I am not opposed to our young people celebrating the end of an era in their lives- by all means, send off the years of school and study, and bring in the new life of responsibility and adulthood, but there must be a better way than schoolies.I read today of Police pleading with parents to not visit their kids half way through the week to drop off a continued supply of booze to their underage kids. Now, I don't drink alcohol (unless the odd dose of medicine counts), but even if I did, I would not give it to my children. I especially would not drop them off at some hotel with a case of the stuff, and then return a few days later to make sure they had enough to get blind, rotten, drunk and obnoxious!
Come'on parents, wake up to yourselves. We wonder why our kids are going "off the rails", and doing stupid things, but we haven't observed our own actions, and how they may be creating an avenue for them to not only "jump off the deep end", but to have a run up to the cliff. We are providing the skates they need to reach the end- then we want to sue someone when our kid gets hurt or killed. Wake up!
I say "go the Police", lock the whole darn town up if you have to! Slap all the parents giving the booze out with supply to underage fines. Let's show these school leavers that they don't have to go all out on the drink to have a good time- and lets seem them get to the next stage in life safely.
Jim
Photo courtesy of Perth Now
