What Kind of Driver Will Your Child Be: The Daredevil or the Nervous Nelly?

I think children fall into one of two categories when it comes to driving: the Daredevil and the Nervous Nelly. We had one of each and they required very different teaching methods. One needs to be taught where the break is located, how to let up on the gas and be more cautious so that they don’t end up in an accident. The other needs to be taught to use a little more gas, keep their foot off the break and be less cautious so that they don’t end up in an accident. Knowing your child the way that you do, you probably already know what type of driver that your child will be. Use that information when developing a strategy on how to best teach each of your children to drive. Keep in mind that the method that worked for your oldest might not be the right method for your other children.

A Good Health Dose of Reality Before Your Teen Gets Behind the Wheel

There is an excellent reason why most Driver's Education Courses start by showing accident videos and photos, to scare your child into being a safer driver. Teenagers are notorious for believing that things will never happen to them. Being faced with pictures of other teenagers who have died or been injuried in an automobile accident, although somewhat gruesome, may go a long way in altering this belief.

Whether they saw pictures and videos in a class or not, I encourage you to talk with your teenager about the dangers of driving and view accident photos on the internet with them. This information may just pop into their head when they are driving without you and are considering engaging in some dangerous action in order to impress their friends or give in to peer pressure.

Should You Be the One to Teach Your Child to Drive?

This has been a question that parents have been asking themselves for generations. In answering this question, it is important to be honest with yourself. Ask yourself the tough questions. How patient are you when it comes to your teenager? Does your spouse have more patience than you do? Will your relationship with your child withstand you teaching them to drive?
Can you afford to pay for a few driving lessons since those first few lessons seem to be the most tense?

When our children were first learning to drive, we came to the conclusion that my husband was best suited for the task of teaching them. This seems like a funny choice since I was in education at the time, but it definitely was the right choice.

A Funny Quote about Driving and Teenagers

The best way to keep children at home is to make the home atmosphere pleasant, and let the air out of the tires. ~Dorothy Parker

Driving and Teenagers...Oil and Water

Who ever came up with the brilliant idea of putting teenagers behind the wheel of a two ton vehicle needs to have their head examined. At a time when hormones and peers are ruling the judgement of our children, we are trying to teach them to drive safely and be responsible about their new found freedom. Talk about a losing battle. I want you to consider that there are a few good things about your child learning to drive. It reduces the amount that you need to cart your children around to sports practice, friend’s houses, and school activities. This was a huge lifestyle change for me that lightened my load considerably. It also provides you with a very effective means of discipline. Hanging on to the car keys until they have done their chores or started acting more respectfully is highly effective.

Helping Your Child Choose a Career

There is no more important decision that our children make in their young adult life then “What am I going to do when I grow up?” What can we, as parents, do to help our children make this very important decision? Help your child to volunteer or tour places that are in their areas of interest. This will help them develop a better sense of what that job entails. Sometimes the reality of a job is not even close to what they are visualizing. Better for your children to find out now that a particular job is not for them, rather than after years of training for that job.

A website that I have directed many students to, careerkey.org, may provide your child with valuable information about jobs that fit their particular skill set, values and financial needs. The website provides access to the Career Key Test which is a Holland Personality Test. This test asks multiply choice questions in order to determine your child's personality type. It provides lists of jobs that fit their particular personality type. Your child then picks the jobs that interest them from this list and they are able to find out valuable information about each of these jobs. The information includes: education required, current job availability and salary, and projected job availability and salary in ten years. The cost of using this website is about $10.00, but I believe that this information is priceless in today's job market.

A Heartfelt Thanks to All Those Who Have Served Their Country

A heartfelt thanks to all the men and women who have served their country proudly in the armed forces. Be sure that your children understand the true meaning of Memorial Day. If possible have a family member who has served share their stories with your children. I feel fortunate to have been able to watch several war movies with my father this Memorial Day weekend. During the commercials, he shared his Army stories. In my Dad’s opinion the best war movie ever made was “Midway”.