How to Convince Your Parents to Let You Throw a Party

Hosting a party can bring you and your friends together to hang out and celebrate an event or just life in general. You may feel ambivalent about asking your parents; you'd like to hear a resounding yes, so you want to be prepared to prove to them that you are responsible enough to throw a party, follow the rules and clean up afterward. If you are able to show them how responsible you are before you ask them to throw a party, your chances of an affirmative answer will likely increase.

Ask yourself if you follow the rules that your parents set for you. This includes coming home on time, doing your chores without being asked and making sound decisions when you are faced with peer pressure. Try stepping into your parents' shoes and seeing things through their eyes, suggests Jay McGraw, author of "Closing the Gap: A Strategy for Bringing Parents and Teens Together." Think twice before you call them "mean," because they set rules as a means to keep you safe and healthy. This will also build trust and may increase the chance that your parents will give you some additional freedom by allowing you to throw a party.

Although your hormones may be raging and you may feel moody at times, take notice of your behavior to be sure you are not unintentionally taking it out on your parents. Show your parents respect by obeying the rules within your family, even if they differ from those of your friends, and attend family outings with enthusiasm, recommends the Kids' Health article "Getting Along With Your Parents." Work out issues with your siblings using problem solving and compromise, as this shows you are maturing; this may help your parents to see you are responsible enough to have a party.

It may feel like you have to go out of your way to gain your parents' trust, but generally your parents set limits based on their desire to protect you and keep you safe from harm, according to the article "Helping Your Teen Make Responsible Choices, " published by the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Choose friends who display responsible behavior, call your parents for a ride home if you are ever in a sticky situation, and keep your word. For example, if you tell your parents that you are going to the mall, then stay at the mall. If you sneak off and someone reports it back to your parents, it's unlikely they are going to trust you enough to have a party with friends you get into trouble with.

You will have a better chance of being heard if you remain calm and respectful when interacting with your parents. Ask them to sit down with you and be prepared to discuss the idea of throwing a party, followed by listening to them and then discussing and negotiating, according to Kids' Health. For example, you may want to throw a party with 30 teens from 7 p.m. to midnight. Your parents may agree to 15 guests with a start time of 8 p.m. and the party ending by 11 p.m.