By Steff WillisWednesday 9 Nov 2022ParentingReading Time: 2 minutes
Thousands of students are getting ready to toss their graduation caps and descend on holiday locations around Australia for another Schoolies Week.
Simultaneously, anxious parents are preparing to send their children away for the celebrations.
Red Frogs has been providing peace of mind to parents since 1997, helping safeguard school leavers on Schoolies Week.
Over 1500 Red Frog volunteers provide direct relief, safety and support to young people during Schoolies Week across 14 locations.
If you’re feeling nervous about your child being away for an extended period of time, Red Frogs have some tips on how you can prepare your teen for safe celebrations.
- Talk to your teen about Schoolies Week and how they plan to celebrate.
- Do not call or SMS your teen while they are driving down or home again – they don’t need the distraction.
- Stock your teen with a heap of pre-made meals for the week.
- Do not provide your teen with any alcohol. Although this might feel like you are protecting them, research has shown that providing them with alcohol actually leads to more risky behaviour.
- If your teen is over 18, encourage them to buy light beer, not full strength.
- Make sure your teen is stocked with slabs of water.
- Agree on check-in times and stay in touch during the week to make sure they are OK.
- Remind them to always stay with their friends.
- Make sure your teen has the Red Frogs hotline number saved in their phone and has downloaded the ‘Red Frogs’ app.
- Encourage them to call 000 in emergency situations, the official services are here to help
Red Frogs have also created tips for schoolies that will help them enjoy the celebrations in a safe and fun way including privacy, boundaries and how Schoolies should go about living with their mates for the first time.
Research has shown that providing your teen with alcohol leads to risky behaviour – Red Frogs
Red Frogs recognises that the culture of young people is dominated by alcohol. In situations such as Schoolies/Leavers Week, excessive consumption of alcohol and other substances means that things can often get out of hand and potentially alter the direction of a young person’s future. Our volunteers act as the eyes and ears in accommodation venues and out on the streets, providing a positive peer presence to school leavers.
Parents can join the ‘Red Frogs Schoolies Advice for Parents’ Facebook Group to keep up to date. For young people planning to head to Schoolies, the Red Frogs can be contacted 24/7 through the hotline number 1300 557 123 or by downloading the Red Frogs App.