Additional Coverage:
- My teen threw a party while I was out of town. I knew something was up when I noticed the house had been vacuumed. (businessinsider.com)
Teen Sneaks Around, Throws Party While Mom’s Away
A mom’s quick birthday trip to Vermont turned into a parenting dilemma when her 16-year-old daughter threw a coed sleepover party in her absence. The mom, wanting to celebrate her birthday with family, left her responsible teen at home, only to discover the teen’s carefully crafted plan upon her return.
Clues like insistent questioning about the trip’s timing hinted at something brewing, but the mom, recalling her own teenage sneakiness, dismissed them. The truth unraveled through an accidental phone call with the supposed host of the “other” party the daughter claimed to be attending.
It turned out all those friends were actually at her house. A too-clean, vacuumed house added to the mounting evidence.
Confrontation led to a tense confession. The daughter admitted to having a few friends over, then finally conceded to a “small” party, the actual size of which remained unclear.
The mother, having pulled a similar stunt in her own youth, understood the impulse but was concerned about the coed nature of the gathering. Although the daughter argued it was the only way to have both male and female friends sleep over, the mom pointed out a previous, approved coed sleepover for the daughter’s 16th birthday.
The lingering tension prompted a visit to their family therapist. The daughter voiced her frustration, while the mom held firm on her no-coed-sleepover rule, citing discomfort and a sense of responsibility for the teens. The therapist validated the mother’s concerns, noting that most parents wouldn’t allow their teens to attend, let alone host, such gatherings.
While the daughter remained upset after the session, a stop for retail therapy and a movie night at home seemed to ease the tension. The mom, though feeling a bit like a Disney villain, held onto the hope that her daughter might secretly be relieved by the firm boundary.