Amy White, the mother of a college-bound teenager, went viral after sharing what she does to make her home the place where her son and his friends want to hang out.
“How do you get teens to want to come play cards, spend the holidays, and come back home from college on breaks?” White wrote in a video showing her son and friends playing cards and laughing at a table.
In the caption, White shared her secret. She recommends making your house “the hangout house” as early as possible – ideally by middle school or even earlier. That way, it’s more likely to remain the hangout spot when they’re older.
Next, she advises filling the house with snacks and drinks – and importantly, not complaining when teens help themselves to it all.
“The kids knew we had food – but they also knew I didn’t mind what they took. They knew the cabinets and fridge were open to them,” she said.
She emphasized there’s a difference between making your home welcoming and being “the cool house.” Some parents allow underage drinking in a supervised setting, but White says you don’t have to break laws or values to be popular.
According to her, pizza and soda are enough to make most teens happy. “We weren’t the house that offered alcohol, and we didn’t allow them to bring it. And guess what? They still came and wanted to be here,” she said.
Finally, White recommends saying yes when your child wants to have friends over. “They know the answer is yes 99% of the time,” she wrote.
“You want your kids to initiate having their friends over. And if your home is open during high school, they’ll know it’s open in college too.”
One bonus tip: don’t obsess over cleanliness. “I love a clean and organized home, but I’d rather have a messy house full of memories than a quiet, tidy one with nothing happening,” she says.
“It’s worth it to be ‘the house,’ so let go and get to know your kids’ friends,” White concludes. The comments have been enthusiastic. “A wise man once said, ‘Don’t be the house with alcohol. Be the house with food,’” one follower wrote.
“Our home was that place where my son’s college friends came every weekend… and I loved it! Now that they’ve graduated and moved away, I miss it. I love when they come back on breaks,” another user commented.
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Photo and video: Instagram @hi.im.amywhite. Content created with the help of artificial intelligence and reviewed by the editorial team.
