When you hear Spring Break you think of one thing: your college kid going out each day to the beach with alcohol, and then hitting the club at night with alcohol. The scenery may differ but there is always alcohol, your kid’s friends, who you may or may not know, and more college-aged kids who you definitely do not know. You do not know their motives, which worries you.

The challenge you face is this: figuring out how much you need to be the helicopter parent and how much of a cool parent you can be. You want your child to enjoy their Spring Break, but at the same time, you really want to have one more uncomfortable talk with them before they head off for the parties. You want to talk about the dangers of drugs, alcohol, and strangers...