How to Be a Cool Prom Mom

The Prom Guide

It's finally arrived: your daughter's prom! This time around you can't wear the dress and you won't get the corsage. But you can be your daughter's prom guru. Use this eight-week schedule to stay involved and play it cool.

Shop for the dress. Most girls want Mom's input when buying the sacred gown, so today is your day to shine. Shopping is a good opportunity to talk about prom night concerns. Share your values about drinking, drugs, and sex, and encourage your daughter to talk freely. Today she needs your wallet and your advice, so she'll be more willing to chat.

Betsy Wolf, whose daughter, Taryn, attended two proms, advises that you shop early: "With finals, AP exams, SATs, and SAT IIs, there isn't a lot of time."

Hint: Save time for dress alterations -- one mom we know didn't and had to staple her daughter's hem!