‘My Teenage Son Wants To Go To A Concert’: Tips And Guidance For Concerned Parents

It is a natural desire and typical of that age in which music becomes a reflection and expression of their identity: going with a group of friends to listen to their favorite artist live. But after the quarantine by COVID-19 and depending on the age of the minor, it is also inevitable that alarms and fears for the safety of their child go off in the heads of parents of family.

“In adolescence young people look for identification models who are generally public figures such as artists, influencers and singers, therefore, their tendency is to idealize these characters and logically be part of the call that they make through concerts, not only by being close to them, but also by for being participants in the events that occurred with their peers and thus having experiences and topics of conversation in commonn”, explains the clinical psychologist Monica Llanos Whitewashed.

and parents must try to respond in coherence with that realityadvises the doctor. “The parents are the adults and we are expected to have an formed and broad criteria about the different life situationstherefore, dialogue becomes fundamental with our children, since We cannot claim to have them in a glass bubble, but neither can we claim to give them extreme freedom, to the point that he exposes himself to unnecessary dangers.”

The specialist recommends evaluating this type of permit from the age of 16 of the minor, although beyond the age, to grant him the authorization to attend a massive spectacle ofIt will depend on the level of development of the adolescent’s thinking and criteria of responsibility. Likewise, for the possibility that they go alone should also evaluate the place, the number of people and the type of companions what will it have

A fear that is alleviated with dialogue

“Parents are aware that they have no control over the type of people and situations that can occur inside the show”, explains Llanos and that fuels her fears about her children exposing themselves to dangers such as vandalism, assault, drugs and sexual promiscuity. “It can also be the case of considering that your child is not prepared to respond to or handle situations in which they have to decide on actions that put their integrity at riskgiven that in adolescence, in general, the consequences of actions are not measured and in some cases it can get out of hand.”

The best way, he emphasizes, is promote family dialogue about the advantages and disadvantages of attending this type of shows and even talk about how to react to certain situations that could show up. “The attitude should be one of openness and not to restricteven if you are tempted to do so. To reach agreements, you must first listen to the plans and expectations of minors, as well as their own fearsknow the details of the event and the possibilities that exist”.

Thus, once both parties have presented their point of view, You can give way to negotiation and define details such as:

* Which friends are going to accompany them (who are the ones the parents know).

* Safe mobilization to go and leave the Show.

* Precautions and recommendations against incidents that may arise.

* The communication that they must maintain with the parents during the show.

“When there is transparency and trust on both sides in this type of situation, and other similar ones, everything flows naturally, as part of life and as training opportunities for our children”.

Opportunities to build trust

However, you don’t have to wait for a massive show to arrive to start building trust with your teen. Every casual outing or meeting with friends can be an opportunity to guide them about the dangers in their environment.be alert and take care of yourself.

Y discard the option to follow you secretly or from afar without your child knowing. “At all times, parents must show transparency, truth and be consistent with what they demand of their children,” Llanos emphasizes. “Instead of following them you could, for example, agree to drop you off or remove you from the site”, he adds.

The specialist believes that parents also grow along with their children and, once they leave childhood, adjust to being a parent of adolescents. “Parents must learn to trust our children and be aware that they are going to make mistakes and they will have to learn from their own mistakes because they are training for adult lifeTherefore, in adolescence we must carry out an accompaniment and learn to release them gradually”.

What if, despite all the family preparation, a negative incident occurs? Then it will be necessary to assess whether the event escaped the hands of the minor or if, on the contrary, it was a consequence of not having complied with the rules or the agreements made. “It is important that there is a consequence, but also dialogue about what happened and see it as an opportunity to reflect and learn”.

Recommendations from the authority

Although at every mass event each organizer is responsible for guaranteeing medical assistance emergency in case attendees need it, the largest William Muñoz, chief commissioner of the Specialized Division of the Benemérito Fire Department of Guayaquiladvises to be alert, for example, of the security zones of the site, as well as not cross the lines that the response institutions set as limits (danger tapes). “If they are in closed settings, it could identify emergency exits in advance“, Explain.

From his experience, Muñoz comments that Among the most common problems that they tend to attend to in massive settings is exposure to very high temperatures and the sun, as well as cases of dehydration. Although deep-seated emergencies have also occurred, such as when there is an increase in heart rate in one of the attendees.

What should I do if there is an altercation? Get away from the site (to avoid being injured) and ask the nearest response entity for help.