It’s a double edged sword is what I call it – prom gowns, prom shoes, the essential clutch bag, rental tuxes, dress socks, hair spray, false nails, limousines, hair extensions, corsages, and boutonnieres. For parents of teenagers facing the over-the-top extravagant, not to mention, debutante-style preparations of high school prom celebrations this June, I have only two pieces of advice to offer: “charge it” or “run away.”

Why it seems like only yesterday I was suffering from sleep deprivation due to midnight feedings, wet diapers, and the cries of one newborn daughter. No longer a newborn, and not quite a woman, today number one and only daughter is causing me sleep deprivation since she handed me a mile long “prom: to do” list with prom dress rental holding the number spot closely followed by prom shoes and essential clutch.

What is a mother to do when her one and only daughter is preparing to face yet another milestone along her journey into womanhood? Stand back in the wings and let daughter take care of it all by herself, risking a poorly fitting too-short dress, unforgiving stilettos that will compromise any chances at her displaying years of poise and grace classes, followed by a botched-up boutonnière order? Of course, I could always throw myself full-throttle into the Oscar-worthy role of doting Italian mother, selflessly ready and willing to add more to her already overflowing plate of “to do’s?” Not surprisingly, I have chosen the latter, after all, how difficult could 20 or 30 hours of prom-dressing, prom-shoes, and the essential clutch purse shopping be?

Throwing caution to the wind and all of those self-help parenting books by the wayside, I’ve decided to dote with a capital “D”. After all, one celebrates one’s graduation from high school only once in one’s life.

Webster’s defines prom as a formal dance given by a high school or college class. I define prom as a mother’s last ditch effort to undo any of the damage inflicted upon her child during the formative school years. Here is a perfect, albeit expensive, opportunity to make up for any of mother’s unintentional shortcomings - missed field trips, school plays, track meets, forgetting to feed meal worms, water bean plants, etc. In other words, I will stop at nothing to make this special night of pomp, pageantry and ceremony perfect, all in the hopes of in return receiving adoration, affection, and a generous side order of gratitude from this, my one and only daughter.

What I hadn’t factored into the equation though, was the soaring costs and time constraints involved in what I am now referring to as an over-priced fiasco. Wasn’t it enough that I had committed myself to hosting not one, not two, but three of the young brood’s May/June birthday celebrations, one family anniversary party, and let’s not forget, daughter’s one time only high school graduation party?

I am proud to report that to date, the hair and makeup appointments are made, the floral arrangements are in check, and both the video recorder and digital camera batteries are charged and ready to go. Now all one has to do is work one’s fingers to the bone from dawn until dusk while anxiously anticipating the dreaded credit card bill. I refuse to entertain the dreaded thoughts of what planning an Italian daughter’s wedding will entail.