Venue

Is your home big enough to hold a group of your daughter’s friends? Is there space for dancing? Will any areas of your home be off limits? Will partygoers arrive through areas shared by you and your neighbours? For a large party,you may want to hire a venue such as a community hall. Guest list Ask your daughter/son to draw up a list of people to invite; try to limit this to around 10 to 30 people. (Once numbers get over 30, a party can be very hard to control.)Note down who will be attending and check this list when each person arrives.

Running time

Agree on a reasonable start and end time for the party. Consider issues such as noise and how guests will get home. Ask your teen to let each guest know that the party will definitely come to a close at the agreed time.

Neighbours

Pre-warn your neighbours and let them know what time the party will end. Neighbours who have been ‘kept in the loop’ will be less likely to overreact at the sight of teens converging at your place, and less likely to complain.

Your things

Put aside breakable items and valuables before the guests arrive.

Music

This should be exclusively the domain of your teen and their friends. So, even if you find music hideously irritating, for this night only you may have to hear it over and over! Do set a limit for how loud the music can be, and a definite time for when it must stop.

Food

Be sure to serve plenty of food. Discuss with your daughter/son what party snacks they would like and get them to help you prepare it.

Drink

Offer a wide selection of non-alcoholic drinks, such as fizzy drinks, juice and water. You could also make a large bowl of non-alcolholic punch. Your teen may want to drink alcohol at the party. This is a tricky issue, and you should be aware that it is illegal to supply under-18s with alcohol. If you decide to allow alcohol, consider providing it yourself and using a responsible adult as barperson - this way you can control what and how much is drunk. Whatever you decide, make it very clear to your child and guests what is allowed and what is not. Don’t allow guests to bring drinks to the party (even soft drinks, as they may have been spiked with alcohol).

Smoking and drugs

Expect visitors to obey your house rules about smoking, and be aware of the legal issues around drugs.Make it clear that you won’t accept illegal behaviour in your house.

Supervision

You should definitely be there at all times, but this doesn’t mean you have to be right in the thick of things. Keep your distance, and try to keep a watchful eye without being too obvious.

Safety and security

Think about setting aside a ’safe’ room at the party where guests can put their coats and bags. Make sure a responsible adult keeps an eye on the room. You may want to keep secluded areas like bedrooms off limits. Be strict about refusing party gatecrashers, and equally, don’t allow people to return if they have left.

Plan in advance what you will do if something goes wrong - a teenager passes out or a fight breaks out.Don’t be afraid to get medical help or call the police if you need to.

Getting home

Your responsibility for guests’ safety does not end as soon as you get people out the door! Be aware of how guests will get home, whether by taxi, with friends or with parents. Don’t let any guest get into the car of anyone who has been drinking.

After the party

Expect your teenager to help you clean up after the party. They may like to enlist a close friend to stay the night, who can also help!