This post is by Evan Fischer of useddodgeengines. You hope that the lessons you instilled in your kids as they grew will be enough to help them through this difficult transitional period.
But at the same time you dread the many firsts they will face without you as they become more independent; first date, first kiss, first breakup, and of course, the first time they roll out of the driveway behind the wheel of a car. And it may be the last one that concerns you most, especially considering the high risk that is posed by inexperienced drivers. The first and most important thing to discuss with your teens is the responsibility that comes with driving a car. And there are three main topics that fall under this category: financial, legal, and personal.
They need to know that there are consequences for failure to take the weighty responsibility of operating a car seriously. You can help them understand the financial burden by making partial payment mandatory. In other words, make it a condition of driving that your teens get jobs and pay for a portion of the costs themselves. This will teach them a valuable lesson about the rewards of hard work and relieve you of some of the financial pressures associated with teen drivers.
Then comes the most important conversation: personal responsibility. Teens need to understand that reckless behavior puts them, their passengers, and other drivers at risk for accident and injury. You will almost certainly want to include limitations on where they can go, who they can have in the car, and time restrictions on driving at night a curfew, in other words.
Of course, you need to make the time for plenty of practice. This means taking them out for frequent practice sessions, so that you can monitor their progress and help them to prepare for any situation that might pop up.
