Prom Pressure. How To Prepare For Your Prom

Prom Pressure. How To Prepare For Your Prom

Gina can't believe that she almost sat out her senior prom. It's true that things started out badly: She'd asked Chris - her secret crush - to be her date and he'd said no. Then a girl she thought was her friend started telling everyone how Chris had turned Gina down. The final straw was when the store where Gina worked closed, leaving her without a job - and without the money to buy the dress she wanted. Gina decided it was all a sign she shouldn't go.

Gina's friends finally persuaded her to go with them - it was her senior prom after all, and they thought she'd regret not going. So Gina borrowed a dress from her cousin and went with her friends. She ended up spending most of the night with Chris, who'd turned down offers of dates because he wanted to go with his friends instead.

The prom can be one of the most important events in your high school experience - a special night to look forward to and fantasize about for months beforehand. For some teens, though, the prom can seem like just another reason to worry and feel stressed out. Here are some strategies for overcoming prom pressure.

Your Money
With a little bit of planning and creativity, the prom doesn't have to cost a fortune. Here are a few less expensive options:

Try renting dresses or tuxedos or paying for them in installments if you don't want to blow a wad of cash.

Thrift shopping for cool finds is a great way to get style on the cheap. You may be able to find some funky vintage shoes, purses, jewelry, and other accessories.

Think about borrowing threads from older siblings or cousins.

If you can't afford a trip to a beauty salon, go to a drugstore with a friend and treat yourselves to some new beauty supplies. You can spend the afternoon helping one another primp to perfection.
Instead of an expensive restaurant, opt for a romantic picnic dinner in the park or meet up at a friend's place for some home cooking.

If you're going with a date, talk openly about what's important to him or her - that way you'll have some idea of where you should spend your money. And guys shouldn't feel pressure to pay for everything - in fact, lots of girls prefer to share the expenses and have some choice in what the plans are.

If you need to ask a parent or other family member for help with your finances, offer to make up the cash by doing chores around the house like mowing the lawn, doing the dishes, or babysitting your little brother or sister. Sometimes parents are happy to help with some expenses - such as a limo that means they won't have to worry about how you'll get home.

Your Self-Esteem
The biggest prom worry for most people is asking and being asked: It's natural to stress out about gathering the courage to invite that special someone - and then being turned down. It's tempting to avoid the possibility of rejection by not asking, but who wants to be afraid of taking a chance? Ask. If the person says no, you can move on. That's what Gina did - and she was surprised when people told her how much they admired her for asking Chris in the first place. If you never ask, you may miss out on a dream date - someone who might be waiting for you to make the first move because he or she is too shy.

This works the other way around, of course: If you need to decline an offer, try to step back and think about the other person's feelings so you don't let him or her down too hard.

The important thing is to find a date you know you'll enjoy spending the evening with, whether it's a friend, boyfriend or girlfriend, or the object of your secret desire. Because most people want to relax and keep their options open for fun on prom night, more and more people are choosing to go with a group of friends instead of a date. Who better to spend the evening with than the people who love you for who you are?

Your Looks
Want to lose weight? As always it's important to do what's healthy and right for you. If you are overweight and you've talked to your doctor about your need to lose weight, the prom could be a great reason to get motivated. Your best strategy is to plan ahead. Girls in particular often resort to crash dieting right before the big night - and they're usually left feeling weak, cranky, and certainly not in the mood for fun. Because the weight that's lost through crash diets is mostly water weight, most of these people gain the weight back after prom's over. What's more, studies have found that frequent "yo-yo" dieters - people who crash diet and then go back to eating normally - may end up gaining more weight over time.

To lose the weight for real - to keep it off for the rest of the summer's fun and beyond - plan to lose a pound or 2 (0.5 or 1 kilogram) a week through regular exercise and by eating a variety of healthy foods. Because it's almost impossible to lose more than a couple of pounds of body fat per week, set your goals early on: If you decide you'd like to lose 5 pounds (2.3 kilograms), for example, start your program 3 weeks before the big night.

Exercising and eating right will also help your skin look its best. And speaking of skin, lots of people hit the tanning bed before prom night. Most of us already know the problems tanning causes later in life. But tanning can also cause skin problems that mess with prom-night good looks: Some people find they are prone to breakouts after tanning; others notice it leaves them with dull, dry, flaky skin. The best strategy is to look for alternatives to the tanning bed. Plan ahead and experiment with store-bought tanning products. Try a couple several weeks in advance to find out which one works best for you. Or visit a salon for advice on spray tanning.

Another strategy for looking prom-night gorgeous? Get plenty of rest, especially on the days leading up to the prom. No matter what body type you have or how much money you spend, confidence helps you look good!

Your Health
Lots of people feel pressure from their friends to drink, do drugs, or lose their virginity on prom night. As with your other prom plans, take a minute to think in advance about how you'll avoid getting into an unwanted situation. You'll feel more confident and in control if you're prepared.

Unfortunately, drugs and alcohol impair your judgment and can hurt you. And there's also the fact that drinking and drugs are illegal - you don't want to spend prom night in the lockup.

Be sure you have a safe ride home, whether it's a designated driver, parent, or that chauffeur-driven limo. It's also a good idea to have cab fare or to bring a cell phone and the number of an older sibling or parent just in case your ride gets wild.

Substances like alcohol and drugs can also play a role in teens' losing their virginity on prom night. The decision to have sex is an important personal choice that involves many factors. Don't feel pressure to have sex just because it's a special night - your night will be even more memorable if your memories are happy instead of regretful. In fact, lots of girls and guys who think about it in advance decide that there's enough excitement on prom night anyway - and that having sex is a special, personal decision that shouldn't just be a sideline to prom fun.

Prom can be magical. But it's not the only time you'll have this much fun: There are plenty of other life-defining events as well. So don't let anyone use prom night to pressure you into drinking, drugs, sex, or breaking your curfew - or doing anything else you don't want to. It's your prom. Enjoy it the way you want to.

No prom gown or tux is complete with out your own personalized jewelry. Be sure to visit big-baby.com to buy some trendy, self-expression teen jewelry to add as a great accessory to your prom outfit