Where has the time gone? My baby girl is about to turn 15 years old and see will soon be taking drivers ed- impossible!!! Impossible, but true! The journey to driving won’t be as difficult because we have had 3 drivers before her, but STILL. I ran across this article from Love & Logic and I thought it was too important not to share. The article basically was questioning you, as a parent, to see if your child was READY to take on the responsibility of driving a car. Here are some questions to think about before allowing your child to get behind the wheel….
Does your teen make a financial contribution to his/her driving privilege?
Lifesaver #1 Kids take much better care of their cars and drive more carefully when they have a significant amount of their own money invested.
“Feel free to drive when you have enough money to pay for half of the car and half of the insurance.”
“Feel free to use the family car when we’re not using it and you deposit money into our bank account equal to our insurance deductible.”
Lifesaver #2 Does your teen respect the rules at home and at school?
Make sure your teen is following the rules of your home and at school. If they don’t respect the rules at home & school, what are the chances that they will follow the rules of the road??
“When I know that you are following the rules at home and school then I’ll feel comfortable that you will follow the rules of the road. Then it will be time for you to drive.”
Lifesaver #3 Does your teen handle frustration without losing his/her temper?
Kids who lose their temper easily at home are sure to lose their temper behind the wheel and fall into the “road rage” epidemic.
“When I know that you can handle your frustrations without throwing a fit, I will know that you are ready to handle the frustrations of driving without doing something you’ll be sorry for later.”
Taken from Love & Logic Speed-E Solutions: Teens and Driving
When our sons were driving, they drove a car that was purchased by us and insurance was paid by us. In return, they maintained A’s & B’s on their report card, communicated their plans and stuck to them, and they also paid for gas and any incident that caused damage to the car. Those were our rules and they have worked out well for us. Each family will have different circumstances and there’s no right or wrong answer, but this article made me stop and think!!!
Until next Thursday……see ya!!!!!!
Linking up with The Diary of a real housewife
Excellent article.
Thank you!!!