There is one way to make sure your teenage kids stay safe this Halloween: Let them throw a party in your Oakland home. Before you freak out at the prospect, this can actually be a great learning and bonding experience. Plus, if all goes according to plan it should be a lot of fun. First, you’ll want to lay down some ground rules. Determine who is going to be responsible for what and put it in writing. This way there shouldn’t be any confusion as the party approaches.

The first phase of your teen’s Halloween party should be the planning. How many friends do they want to invite. Whatever number they tell you, factor in at least 10 to 15 more as word spreads. You also have to set out the times for the party. This should go on the invitations and will be important facts for other parents to know. Then there is the budget to consider. While you’ll probably be funding this gathering that doesn’t mean your teen should begin spending away. Set a budget and make sure they work within that budget.

One way to make this party unique is to set a theme. Yes, it’s Halloween but that doesn’t mean it can’t be specific. For instance, you could have an all zombie party or an all superhero party. By providing a theme, it helps the guests figure out what to wear. And for those party poopers who show up without a costume, have a few selections on hand for them to slip into. That will teach them! Don’t forget, if you are chaperoning then you should also get into the spirit with your own costume. Just try not to embarrass your teen with your choice (good luck with that!).

For food choices, you can keep it simple with the classic teen fare of hot dogs or pizzas. Of course, there should also be plenty of Halloween candy on hand to satisfy any trick or treat flashbacks. Depending on the size of your home, you might want to secure areas of your home from wandering teens. This can be easily accomplished and stay within the theme by draping spider webs across any door you don’t want crossed. One quick glance will show you right away if the webs were disturbed.

Another important aspect of the party planning is to make sure your teen is going to be on hand for the cleanup both before and after. You can aid in this task by having a professional Oakland junk hauling team like Junk King Alameda on call to clear out the clutter. This might also be the perfect time to finally clean up that disaster area known as your teen’s bedroom. Knowing that a junk hauler is going to be pulling up with a truck is a perfect motivator. If this clean up is part of the ground rules you put in writing then there should be no griping!