Preparing for prom: 10 tips for UK parents

What can you do for your daughter’s UK prom?

As a parent, you might wonder, "What can I do for my daughter’s prom?" So, here are 10 practical tips that might help you and your teen prepare for the big night.

1. Understand the importance of prom

Prom is more than just a dance; it's a big deal for many teens. It often represents a final celebration with friends before they move on to the next stage of their lives. 

But this isn’t the case for all teens! 

Talking to your daughter about what prom means to her and why it's important can be helpful to figure out how much she needs your support or whether she’s particularly fussed in the first place. 

2. Know the age and timing

In the UK, proms typically happen at the end of Year 11 (ages 15-16) or Year 13 (ages 17-18) after finishing GCSEs or A-Levels. 

Knowing when prom is can help you plan better and ensure everything is ready on time – often a month before is when teens start worrying about it.

3. Help with outfit selection

Choosing a prom dress can be fun but it’s also stressful for a lot of people. 

Helping your daughter find a dress that makes her feel confident and fits the school's dress code can be a good thing to sort out nice and early.

You might want to check in with the school for any specific requirements, or if you have a group chat with parents you could ask what their plan is and follow suit.

It might also help to know that teens in luna’s community have mentioned they often have a group chat with the year group about prom to avoid them buying the same dresses, so planning the dress early can help avoid any complications later down the line with getting them the same dress as someone else.

It also may help to remind your daughter to avoid too much social media scrolling when looking for outfit inspiration – this can often cause comparisons and stress about what’s trending, which means she may not choose a dress that makes her feel genuinely comfortable.

4. Plan for hair and makeup

If hiring a professional for hair and makeup isn't possible, which we totally get isn’t the case for lots of people, practising different styles at home ahead of time can be useful.

You could even host a sleepover for a group of friends to come over and recreate looks and hairstyles as part of the experience!

There are plenty of easy hair and makeup tutorials on the luna app too (it’s “we are luna” on app stores) that can help her find a look she loves and feels comfortable doing herself.

5. Discuss budgeting

Prom expenses can add up quickly with costs for tickets, outfits, and transportation. Setting a realistic budget and discussing it with your teen ahead of time could help manage expectations and avoid last-minute financial stress.

Learning to budget is also an important life skill we're often not taught about in schools, so if you feel comfortable being open with your daughter about budget, you could give them the chance to manage the prom budget themselves, learning how to do it firsthand themselves!

6. Arrange safe transportation

Ensuring your teen has safe and reliable transportation to and from prom can help you worry less when they’re heading home for the night.

Hiring a car service, limo, or organising a carpool with trusted friends are all options people have done in the past.

7. Plan a pre-prom gathering

Hosting a small pre-prom gathering at home or a friend’s house can be a fun way to start the evening. 

It’s a great chance for you to take photos and for your teen to relax and maybe have some snacks before heading to the main event.

8. Set ground rules

Discussing and setting clear expectations for prom night can be helpful – this might include curfews, setting alcohol guidelines and rules, checking in throughout the night at certain times, and even safety tips for after-parties if they’re going to one. 

This can give you both peace of mind before the night begins.

9. Encourage a healthy body image

Prom can bring a lot of pressure to look a certain way. So, encouraging your daughter to focus on feeling good and not falling prey to peer pressure and trends can be beneficial.

For more tips on promoting confidence, check out how to boost your daughter’s body image.

Try to support her in making choices that boost her confidence and wellbeing, like choosing hair, makeup and a dress that make her feel happy in herself.

10. Discuss the pressures of prom dates

Not all proms are organised to have dates, but some are! And this can come with a lot of pressure for teens.

Try to get them to open up about how they feel about this – have they got a date but are feeling pressured to act a certain way with them at prom? Do they not have a date and feel left out? Do they not want a date but are being told they should have one? Knowing all of these things can help you reassure your daughter that her experience is normal and she only needs to do what makes her comfortable.

If you have your own stories to share about dates at school dances, this can often be a really reassuring conversation too.

11. Be supportive and available

Finally, being there for your teen can make a big difference. Whether it’s helping with last-minute preparations or just being ready to listen if they need to call you up and are feeling lonely on prom night. If this is too much and you have a lot of other things to focus on, which we totally get might be the case, maybe there’s a friend of yours or a family member who could do this instead? Like a designated cheerleader for the day.

We get that prom isn’t a big deal for everyone, and you know your daughter best, but hopefully some of these tips have helped you if you have been worrying about supporting your teen on prom night. 

Why not support your teen with luna premium?

Our app, luna, has dedicated advice on this topic which can help them feel more empowered through adolescence.

You can think of luna as a modern, digital approach to wellbeing – it’s cost-effective, verified by doctors and safeguarding experts, and has a direct line into the biggest concerns facing teens today – so it’s actually addressing what they need advice on, when they need it.

If you’ve been looking for an antidote to the misinformation and negativity shared on social media or forums, you can get luna for your teen via our luna premium page for the price of a coffee each month or manage their subscription by downloading luna yourself and signing up as a parent (it's "we are luna" in app stores).