Mexico Vacations: Spring Break
No longer is Fort Lauderdale the Spring Break capital of the world. More and more people are traveling to Mexico for spring break. Each year, thousands of young people flock down to this country to enjoy this rite of passage. This includes older high school students as well as college students. And the drinking age is 18 in Mexico. This might have something to do with the sudden attraction for the country. It just might.
If you have a young person who is planning on going to Mexico for Spring Break, make sure that you give them warnings about the dangers of drinking too much alcohol. The sad part about Spring Break is that every year you hear of some poor kid dying of alcohol poisoning or drowning while drunk. Talk to your teenager or young college student and be frank about alcohol poisoning as well as how alcohol affects the mindset. Make sure that your young person is aware of the dangers. Simply stating "do not drink" usually does not work. But giving examples of destructive behavior that can occur because of drinking may strike a chord.
You should also talk to your child about staying with the group and not wandering off by themselves with strangers. Mexico is a pretty safe country, but just like any other country, there are nefarious people. We all know the story about Natalie Holloway who went to Aruba for her spring trip and was never heard from again. She has presumably been murdered. Talk to your kids about not going off with strangers no matter how good looking they are. Insist that they only stay with their friends.
It is also imperative that anyone who visits Mexico stay in the village or the resort area and not wander into the mountains or deserted areas. This may seem like a place to take a romantic stroll or hike, but this is also the place where bandits wait for tourists. Warn your child to stay with the group in the resort so they will be fine.
Anyone who visits Mexico must have a passport. If you are a United States citizen, you need a US passport to get back into the United States after you have traveled to any other country. Make sure your student has a passport before he or she embarks on Spring break.
Give them the warnings. Give them some spending money and hold your breath. As parents, it is the most difficult aspect to let go of our kids. But the fact of the matter is that kids love Spring Break and Mexico. Sooner or later, you have to let them go.
One good thing about Mexico spring breaks is that the police are a little bit stricter when it comes to the flashing. That is one thing that you can rest easy about. There is also much to see and do in this country besides sitting around all day drinking. You never know, your child might come back completely fascinated with the Mayan ruins and have a whole new hobby. All in all, Mexico is a nice place for Spring Break and is actually a lot more sedate than Fort Lauderdale, despite the lowered drinking age.
