My 16 year old drove my car without a license

Anonymous
She took the spare key that I keep in my home office. Will definitely hide the keys from now on.
Oh, and she normally walks to school, we live close by.

I am shaking my head at some of you posters.
Anonymous
Wow I’m probably seen as a lax parent on a lot of issues but this would come with a huge consequence if it were my kid. Big delay in getting drivers test scheduled. Driving is a privilege and she just showed you she’s happy to break the law so she loses that privilege for awhile. 3 month delay? I dunno, but more than a few weeks.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:She took the spare key that I keep in my home office. Will definitely hide the keys from now on.
Oh, and she normally walks to school, we live close by.

I am shaking my head at some of you posters.


And we are shaking our heads at you.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:She took the spare key that I keep in my home office. Will definitely hide the keys from now on.
Oh, and she normally walks to school, we live close by.

I am shaking my head at some of you posters.


Meanwhile, my children aren’t taking my car without permission or no license. But you go and “shake your head.”
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Her drivers licence was delayed til she can afford her own car and insurance.

No discussion.

And I would have had her arrested.

Yes I would have.

This exactly, OP. Now her consequences would be mild, compared to later when she’ll get put away for many years for doing the same thing to a boyfriend or whomever. She obviously believes she’s entitled to do whatever she wants without consequences. Sounds like she doesn’t have her father at home. BTDT.
Anonymous
Have you talked to her father about it? Are there any responsible adults in your home?
Anonymous
Teens make stupid decisions. A lot. I'm sure you never thought your teen would go searching for a spare car key in your office. Obviously there needs to consequences (and a better hiding spot for the spare key lol). I'd definitely delay getting the drivers license, but as that isn't happening right now anyways I would add a few days of grounding as well. She needs an "in the moment" one.

So many judgy people who are probably helicopters around their children. Yep, I also drove before I had my license, but not my parents car. It was definitely stupid and I'm lucky nothing bad happened. My parents would NEVER suspect I'd do something like that. I'm a "ggodie 2 shoes" who has never smoked and never done drugs. I was never in trouble either, but I still made stupid mistakes. Everyone does (and if they tell you otherwise they're lying or never spent more than 2 minutes away from their parents).
Anonymous
get a steering wheel lock and leave the car wherever you want.
Anonymous
What do you think is the appropriate punishment? How else could she have gotten to school?
Anonymous
You ground her for a month. Sports and school only. No electronics, no going out with friends, nothing. Simple.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:What do you think is the appropriate punishment? How else could she have gotten to school?


She could have walked.
Anonymous
When I had my permit I was tasked with going to pick up and drop off my grandparents 1.5 miles away (I guess only technically illegal for 1/2 of each trip). This was in the 90s Northern VA, in a residential area. So stupid of my parents.

You need to keep your keys on you and reorient her to the bus for a good while after she gets her papers.

She has her whole life to drive to work. And now she gets to enjoy not driving to school a little while longer.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Her drivers licence was delayed til she can afford her own car and insurance.

No discussion.


And I would have had her arrested.

Yes I would have.


Absolutely to the bolded. She can walk to school until the end of HS. I don’t understand how anyone would think this is not a huge deal.
Anonymous
I had a first cousin once removed who did this, had an accident and a passenger who was one of his friend’s died. Awful tragedy. Devastating for the community. 1st cousin once removed went to jail. Financial hardship for his family. You need to make a real effort to make your kid realize how serious this is.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:I had a first cousin once removed who did this, had an accident and a passenger who was one of his friend’s died. Awful tragedy. Devastating for the community. 1st cousin once removed went to jail. Financial hardship for his family. You need to make a real effort to make your kid realize how serious this is.


This is the kind of thing I’m envisioning – even with no death, the kid could still bankrupt the family with her stupidity.
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