Use these tips to help make the most of your time together and ensure that your teen has a safe and fun Thanksgiving break:

Create new traditions. The holidays are all about making new memories, and a great way to do that is by honoring family traditions. Keep in mind the traditions you started when your kids were younger may not be as fun for them as teens. Consider starting a new tradition together, like running or walking in a Turkey Trot or playing a game of flag football. Ask your teens to share their ideas.

Keep parties for adults, for adults. If you’re hosting a party and most of your guests are adults who’ll be engaging in adult activities such as consuming alcohol, it’s best to make sure your teens have other plans for the evening. Teenagers see and hear what’s going on around them, and they can be influenced by that.

Be present. It’s natural to get stressed out by everything on your holiday to do list, but your kids pick up on that anxiety, and it can damper everyone’s holiday experience. Don’t put too much pressure on being the perfect holiday host –switch up your routine to spend more quality time enjoying the holidays. When your kids grow up, it’s the memories together that they’ll look back on, not whether or not a pie was homemade or purchased from a bakery.

Re-establish ground rules. The night before Thanksgiving is one of the biggest social nights of the year – be sure to re-establish ground rules for your teen to ensure they have a fun and safe evening. After having some freedom while they were away at college, it’s important to reiterate that while they’re home, your rules apply. Make sure they’re well aware of your expectations regarding curfew, communication and saying no to underage drinking.

For more information on parenting teens, visit the Stage 3: Coach section of our website.