This is a subject close to my heart since I now have 2 teens learning to drive in my household. Learning to drive – especially defensively- is a lot different than when I was growing up. Not only do you have to worry that your teen may get distracted by their phone, but then you have the worry of all the people out there who text and drive; it’s definitely a scary world out there. But there are some tips that can help your teen prepare for being on the road.
Driving School
Laws vary by state, but ensuring that your teen has graduated Driving School Training will help keep your mind at ease – and your teen thinking – while on the road. You can talk to your teen until you are blue in the face, however someone else not only telling them but showing them the consequences of distracted driving, or making some not-so-smart decisions, can be life changing.
This post is sponsored by Alfa Romero of Larchmont
Real Life Lessons.
For the past few years I obviously knew we would be coming up to a time that my kids would start driving – so while they are riding with me, I use it as a learning experience. If they sit in the front seat they are not allowed to have headphones in or devices on (at least not the entire time) they need to watch – and learn. My oldest just got a real life lesson the other day when someone ran a stop sign and almost hit us; I told her I was watching because I didn’t see them slow down as we were approaching the intersection, so I was already on my brakes before I knew that she was for sure running that sign. The results could have been VERY different if I hadn’t been paying close attention to my surroundings.
Make a Commitment.
A lot of kids don’t realize that driving is a privilege; not a right. Just because they turn a certain age doesn’t mean magically they get to start driving and being independent. This is a very serious matter – and making a commitment (even maybe a contract of rules) is a good idea not only to keep them safe, but make them realize just what a responsibility being a driver is.
Download Life360
Some of you may own cars with their own location trackers, but the Life360 app is specific to your child; you can know where they are 100% of the time. I actually recently read an article where a mother found her daughter – who had flipped her car on a mountain – because of this app. It also has some paid features such as if they touched their phone while driving, and their max speed. This is 100% part of our family contract , and it makes us all feel more at ease.
