Although my son turned 18 and loves going out, he is not such a big organiser. He usually goes to pre-boliches (pre-parties) at friends houses. That is what he is going to do tonight, before he is off to his “fiesta de egresados”. Yes, he is graduating.

But also today, my youngest one turns 16. Up to now she was only allowed to go to “Fiesta de 15′s” (after all, grandma and grandpa are there, so I suspected these parties were safe), and occasionally she went to the movies or for a drink at Starbucks (to describe the innocence) with her friends.

But today there is no stopping her. After all, this is her sixteenth birthday, and her brothers graduation party. She invited all her friends over to my house. 20 in total. I already warned the neighbours. There is this rule in photography that also counts for Argentine girls : “una punta más es el doble”. 2 girls make a lot of noise, add one and they make noise for 4, put 4 girls together and the noise equals 8, and 20 girls?!

Pre’s are famous for the kids to get drunk. Drinks at boliches are expensive, so better take whatever alcohol you can before you leave. My daughter doesn’t drink. Not because she is some kind of a saint, she just doesn’t like the taste. Except maybe limoncello. So I asked, “The girls aren’t going to drink alcohol, are they?“ Hmm, that was a wrong question. “Of course they drink!” she answered. “What do they drink?” (I was thinking about wine, beer.) She said, “Probably Wodka”. (Qué?! The girls drink Wodka?) So I said I will buy the Wodka. In my mind I was counting, 20 girls, how much Wodka can a 16 year old girl have before she passes out or throws up in my sofa? At least they wouldn’t be mixing drinks. And I would get empanadas to fill their stomachs.

I didn’t have to say anything. My daughter reads my mind. Mom. You are old fashioned, too concerned, and whatever other words she called me I immediately pushed them into my unconscious mind. They are all bringing their own drinks. (Qué? Do their parents know that?). She then lectured me, saying that this shouldn’t be my concern, and that there is absolutely nothing I can do to stop them. I am not going to look into their bags and confiscate the bottles, am I? (I am definitely old fashioned and over concerned).

Around 1 o’clock they are all leaving to the party, the most fun about those fiestas de egresados seems to be, to watch how drunk the egresados are. If they have ever been normal drunk on other occasions, now they are supposed to be super drunk. (Getting drunk is actually a goal?) But this fits into the picture a friend of mine gave me of these parties. Kids are so drunk they don’t even know their home address anymore.

That doesn’t worry me, I thought that maybe I should worry about the safety of my (sober) daughter. But knowing that the boys’s libido, even at the age of 18 year, diminishes with the amount of alcohol they take, I don’t think I should worry about that.

And if I should wonder around what time they will be getting home, they are very clear. Just in time to have a shower, comb their hair, put on there uniform and leave for school.