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The Reality of Having a Licensed Driver

I have been up since 4 a.m. and it isn’t on purpose. I woke up to use the bathroom but when I tried to settle back to sleep, all I could think about was the new chapter ahead of our family. My 16-year-old son passed his driver’s license test yesterday. The state of Wisconsin has made it legal for him to drive…by himself. I really wasn’t prepared for the feelings this would dredge up. I was torn between excitement for him, a sense of relief that soon my days of driving him all over town would be done but then … Continue reading →

Fostering Teen Individuality and Independence

We all want to be who we want to be.  Most adults feel this way, so you can only imagine how true this is for teenagers. This is where individuality comes into play.  As parents we have to learn how to foster this.  At the same time, as our teens get older, we also need to foster independence.  They need to be ready for that time in which they leave home. As soon as you try to stifle a teen’s individuality or you don’t allow for healthy growth toward independence, you stand in the way of having a good relationship.  … Continue reading →

Teens and Driving

Today my daughter starts driver’s education. After already going through this, you would think it’s not that big of a deal. But this time is a little different. With my older son, he didn’t really want to learn how to drive. He was the type of kid who needed to be pushed into responsibility (although, the Air Force seems to have cured him of that). I had to make him get a job, something else he didn’t want to do. Once he did have his license, getting him to drive was like pulling teeth. If he could get out of … Continue reading →

Risky Teen Driving Behaviors

Next month my daughter signs up for driver’s education. Although she isn’t my first child to learn how to drive, she is the only one enthusiastic about it. My oldest son just never really enjoyed driving and would avoid it at all costs. It’s likely that this time around as the parent of a teen driver, there will be greater worries. But I’m not the only one concerned about the safety of teens behind the wheel. The AAA is sponsoring “National Teen Driver Safety Week,” which runs from October 14 through October 20. The focus is on creating stronger graduated … Continue reading →

A Teen’s First Driving Experience

Well this past weekend we had it planned that my son would drive for the first time to his cousin’s house. However we weren’t feeling very comfortable about the idea. They live about 20 minutes away and the only way he knows how to get there is by expressway, so we were feeling a bit apprehensive. Well we happened to have dinner plans Friday night with friends of ours who have a son in college. We asked them how they handled their son driving and I thought they had a great plan. They allowed their son to drive to work … Continue reading →