Betty,

I do have a child, but am speaking from the point of view of when I was a teen and had a bike that I used to “get around” It works after school too! even after night-fall I had a headlight ($25 retail) Battery opperated (4AA), and a blinking tail “warning” light to notify Drivers that I was there ($10 retail).

I know that you may feel that it is unfair on you to teach your children responcibility, but it is unjust on the rest of the world, and unfair to them, not to.
The great thing about being a parent is you can make decisions, and you can defer the decision to the child. You can also give your child choices with limmits. The best way to deal with teens (that are smart enough to understand) is to share withem the results of a decision wether bennifits or consequences.If you have the time to discuss some important decisions that they can safly make, I would suggest an “if” approach. Pose to them situations and have them think abut the result, answer, then give them more input and create a dialouge about situations they will face.

Like, “If you choose to use the Car on Friday night, Where will you go and what do you plan to do?”
thne when you are satisfied whit their answers continue: “What if…” like what if you have a flat tire…” “what if you will return homw late?” “What if you have to rush someone to the hospital?” There are a pluthera of sinarios you can run through. Allowing them to be prepaired for what may happen is not inconveint to them even if they may feel like it is… It will only seem like an inconveiance until then need the preperation. It’s like “What if you are asleep and you awake to have your room filled with smoke, ther is a Fire…” If you have a plan and are prepaired, the reaction is quick decisive and usually correct. If you are ill preparied or don’t have a Plan there is place for hesitation, poor judgment, and slow action. The secound leading cause of death in home fires (right behind disfunctional Alarms) is that people were not prepaired and did not plan in case of a fire. The same thing with any major dicision especially when behind the wheel, when the entire world is comming at you, and there is always some foolish people behind the wheel, you never really know what they will do.

To finish off Betty, I do recongnize that experience is a major player in the differance between knowledge and wisdom. I have always had the nack of being able to put myself in the view point of others, this is a gift from God. If that alone does not qualify me to speak about teens then maybe my experience with them may, I used to work in the school system (as a computer tech/trainer) with both elementary age children and teens, and I currentlly teach a Sundayschool Class of teens in the Church. I understand how the teen mind may seem vacant and focused too much on certian things (I think, too many hormone signals going on all at the same time). I also know how hard it is to get a message accorss to them especially if it is about their safty. I would suggest to everyone out there that sees this, Don’t stop with just their safty. Do express how inportant their safty is, but emphsise that they have the lives of everyone that may be on the road when they are behind the wheel. They have a responcibility for the safty of others, Primarily (for themselves if they are riding in a car) If they are driving for the passangers in the car, then for themselves and others on the road.

If they get into an accident what are the consequences?
If they hit a pedesterian with the car what are the consequeces?
Safty is no joke and should never be taken lightly, especially when you mix in-experienced drivers with a half ton of metal exceeding speeds of 10-20 MPH.

Did you know that at every 10 MPH increes in speed of an inpact reduces the survival rate by 50%?

-D

I remember when my daughters were babies. I had all kinds of plans and dreams. Life seldom turns out the way you plan it. Challenges come that you couldn’t have imagined. You can read books and listen to all kinds of advice, and some of it is good. When it comes right down to it, though, what helps is to do your best to follow the Lord’s commandments and pray for guidance. Time after time, when unexpected problems arose that we had to deal with right then, we could feel inspiration come. We weren’t perfect parents. Our kids aren’t perfect, either. We went through some very rough times. Somehow we made it through those times and there is much love in our family now. We do our best to support each other.

Don’t forget grandparents. They can be a wonderful source of good influence on your children. I could tell my Grandma things I never would tell my Mom. Sometimes siblings can help you with your kids, too. Use all the resources available to you, but your best resource is inspiration from the Lord.

They miss the assignemnt their Grade suffers, and the parents decide if there needs to be further action.
We (adults) miss a day of work we take it in the pocket book… and out Boss decides if there needs to be any further action.

They fender-bend the car they fix it (and don’t get to drive until they show they can be safe (deturmined by responcible Parent)
We fender-bend the Car we need to get it fixed to drive it and sometimes we take a hit on insurance.
They “Total” the car they need to earn the money to buy their own car and get to drive only under strict supervision…(Parentail decision) a 16, 17, or 18 year old is still learning what it means to be an adult, they need the full dose of the reality of Adulthood before they are released on their own to make critical dicisions that impact their future.

We Parents are to guide them and offer experience adiquate for their preparation to join the adult world.

-D