Prom 101: The Girls

As I reflect back on my high school prom, visions of puffy sleeves, gloves and metallics begin to flood my mind to the tune of a once popular Madonna song. As I am starting to prepare for my son’s first prom, the scene is a little bit different.  

 Although I don’t have any daughters of my own, I have plenty of friends who repeatedly tell me how lucky I am to not have to shop for prom dresses. Trends are always changing and formal dress styles and hair and makeup looks go from in to out in a matter of minutes, making it difficult for girls to decide on a dress and makeup look for their big night. 

 To help all of the mothers out there who are just now beginning the process of helping their daughter find the perfect everything, the staffers here at Potential Magazine have come up with a “to do” list to help mothers (and fathers) navigate through this pre-prom phase with their teenage daughters. 

To Do’s: The Ladies  

• The Clothes: Help your daughter choose a dress and shoes that match her personality. If she’s typically leading everyone to the dance floor, a more-fitted dress or shoes she can barely walk in are probably not the best choice. If your daughter is wearing a long dress, don’t spend a lot of money on shoes. Encourage comfort over style since they won’t show much anyway. 
• The Hair and Makeup: Find hair and makeup tutorials on YouTube and practice them with your daughter ahead of time to make sure it’s exactly how she wants it. Not only have you saved a few bucks, but you’ve also gained new hair and makeup skills with an added mother-daughter bonding bonus. If you choose to make hair, makeup or nail appointments, check Daily Deals Sites such as LivingSocial and Amazon Local for deals in your area, (make sure you read the fine print  for any terms of use that may limit what days and times the deals are available). 
• The Glow: Skip the tanning bed. Gradual tanner lotions result in an even, truly healthy glow typically after about two weeks of consistent use and can be found for less than $15 at local drugstores. 
• A Father’s Advice: “I invite my daughter’s date to breakfast to get to know them and let them know my expectations (mainly no drinking!). If they had anything in mind, this would generally stop it.” – Tim Chambliss (Father of 3 daughters and 2 sons) 

Prom night is generally thought of as one of the biggest events to occur throughout the four years of high school. It is special occasion that teens will remember for years to come, and they will look back on their pictures with their kids and say, “Can you believe I  actually wore that dress?!” Just like all of us moms who wore big puffy sleeved dresses and dad’s who wore powdered blue tuxes!