Tips For Parenting A Teen Driver
Here are some of the best tips for parents of
teen drivers in order to keep everyone happy and safe.
Try To
Relax!
Before anything, it’s time to take a deep
breath and relax. Your children can’t
stay children forever, so it’s time to accept it. Once you have accepted that your children are
evolving into the next stage of their lives, you’ll be much more relaxed.
Stressing all of the time isn’t good for you,
and it isn’t good for your teen. The
more that you hash over what could potentially go wrong and worry for their
well-being, the more self-doubt they’ll be filled with. Let go and allow them to branch out into
adults!
Be An
Active Part of Their Drivers Ed Course
Not being overly-protective about your teen
doesn’t mean that you have to be completely hands-off. Being involved with their drivers ed course
is incredibly beneficial to them. Help
them outside of the classroom by going over road-signs and practicing driving
together.
Encourage your child to drive as much as
possible with you so that they can practice what they learn. With a patient and helpful parent, they can
gain valuable driving skills. You may
want to lose your patience a few times,
and likely they will too, but just try to breathe!
Set
Clear Ground Rules
You should have crystal clear boundaries about
what the driving rules are in your household.
Since car accidents are a leading cause of death in teens, it’s critical
that they respect the rules.
The rules aren’t there just to drive them crazy. They’re put in place to keep everyone safe.
They should be checking in with you regularly and respecting the rules about
who should and shouldn’t be in the vehicle with them. If they break the rules, their driving
privileges should be suspended without question.
Look On
The Bright Side
Even though you may be finding more to be
worried about than to be thankful for, there’s a bright side if you look
closely enough.
You no longer have to pick them up and drop
them off all the time. They can run errands for you if you need something from
the store. For once you can be the one
asking them for rides!