Appropriate punishment if you catch teen texting & driving & speeding?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you effing kidding me? How is this even a question? Are you just trying to find a reason NOT to take the car away? I don't particularly care about your kid. I do care that he is going 95 while texting and thus is a danger to everyone else on the road.

Take the car away. If that means you have to drive him to sports practices all over town - well weren't you doing that last yr or 2 yrs ago? And if you're over it and don't want to do it -- refuse to drive him. He can pay the price of having to drop out of activities or having to ride a bus. I would also make a rule that he CAN'T ride in his friends' cars to such activities. If he is group texting with a bunch of friends about this -- you don't know if they are crazy drivers and I wouldn't want him in their cars either.

Totally agree with this and will also add that I don't care in the least if this a joke or whatever others above are asking. Because if it was a joke, it's time to learn that texting/emailing stupid shit cannot get a person in real trouble.

This kid's behavior needs to be checked, and hard.

[Anonymous]

^^should read : texting stupid shit CAN get a person in real trouble.

[Anonymous]

Have him buy a bus/metro pass, and or pay for uber for the rest of the school year. You don't want house arrest, you want a kid participating in activities that are healthy, reasonable outlets. He doesn't drive by himself anywhere. As a parent you can drive with him to keep up skills and enroll him in a automotive safety class. No exceptions.

Take away the cell phone for the rest of the school year. No exceptions.

He gets the phone and access to a car the first day of school 2017.

Driving a car and having a phone is a privilege not right.

[Anonymous]

I agree with PPs. No Jeep (really?), no smart phone.

I am sure you already know that your younger children are watching what you do here. And their activities should suffer as little as possible. Son's activities will have to come last for awhile til he, hopefully, regains his good sense.

[Anonymous]

My kid would be way more upset about taking the phone. I would allow him to continue driving to school and school related activities. No more car for fun stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you effing kidding me? How is this even a question? Are you just trying to find a reason NOT to take the car away? I don't particularly care about your kid. I do care that he is going 95 while texting and thus is a danger to everyone else on the road.

Take the car away. If that means you have to drive him to sports practices all over town - well weren't you doing that last yr or 2 yrs ago? And if you're over it and don't want to do it -- refuse to drive him. He can pay the price of having to drop out of activities or having to ride a bus. I would also make a rule that he CAN'T ride in his friends' cars to such activities. If he is group texting with a bunch of friends about this -- you don't know if they are crazy drivers and I wouldn't want him in their cars either.

He's oldest of 3 children, diff. schools, diff. activities, etc. It won't be easy.

What if he says it was just a joke?

You suck. Parenting isn't easy. You know what else isn't easy? Burying kids!!!! You're an absolute ass for allowing your kid to pull this crap

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you effing kidding me? How is this even a question? Are you just trying to find a reason NOT to take the car away? I don't particularly care about your kid. I do care that he is going 95 while texting and thus is a danger to everyone else on the road.

Take the car away. If that means you have to drive him to sports practices all over town - well weren't you doing that last yr or 2 yrs ago? And if you're over it and don't want to do it -- refuse to drive him. He can pay the price of having to drop out of activities or having to ride a bus. I would also make a rule that he CAN'T ride in his friends' cars to such activities. If he is group texting with a bunch of friends about this -- you don't know if they are crazy drivers and I wouldn't want him in their cars either.

He's oldest of 3 children, diff. schools, diff. activities, etc. It won't be easy.

What if he says it was just a joke?

You suck. Parenting isn't easy. You know what else isn't easy? Burying kids!!!! You're an absolute ass for allowing your kid to pull this crap

Yup. And if he says it's a joke? Tough. Those kinds of "jokes" have consequences, i.e., no more car or phone. Moreover, there's not a goddamn thing funny about it.

But I see where he gets being a jackass from. OP, you keep going out of your way to find reasons not to discipline him, let alone as harshly as he deserves. Person up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you effing kidding me? How is this even a question? Are you just trying to find a reason NOT to take the car away? I don't particularly care about your kid. I do care that he is going 95 while texting and thus is a danger to everyone else on the road.

Take the car away. If that means you have to drive him to sports practices all over town - well weren't you doing that last yr or 2 yrs ago? And if you're over it and don't want to do it -- refuse to drive him. He can pay the price of having to drop out of activities or having to ride a bus. I would also make a rule that he CAN'T ride in his friends' cars to such activities. If he is group texting with a bunch of friends about this -- you don't know if they are crazy drivers and I wouldn't want him in their cars either.

He's oldest of 3 children, diff. schools, diff. activities, etc. It won't be easy.

What if he says it was just a joke?

BS.

The jeep should be gone. His activities are now canceled since it causes you more grief to get him there.

It won't be easy when he kills himself, someone else, or both either. Do something now.

[Anonymous]

If he says it was a joke, he is lying. If you believe him, you are dumb. That is all there is to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The other issue is I'm blowing my cover that I can see his messages on this particular app. So, I'll certainly lose that access moving forward -- as he'll change his password. But perhaps worth it?

Holy shit, OP. Be a parent!!

You provide the iPhone, correct? Either you maintain your access or he does. not. have. a. phone.

Blow your cover wide open. Tell him what you know, take the keys, take the phone.

No excuses. For him... or for you.

[Anonymous]

Make him watch this Werner Herzog PSA again and again, Clockwork Orange-style:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk1vCqfYpos

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you effing kidding me? How is this even a question? Are you just trying to find a reason NOT to take the car away? I don't particularly care about your kid. I do care that he is going 95 while texting and thus is a danger to everyone else on the road.

Take the car away. If that means you have to drive him to sports practices all over town - well weren't you doing that last yr or 2 yrs ago? And if you're over it and don't want to do it -- refuse to drive him. He can pay the price of having to drop out of activities or having to ride a bus. I would also make a rule that he CAN'T ride in his friends' cars to such activities. If he is group texting with a bunch of friends about this -- you don't know if they are crazy drivers and I wouldn't want him in their cars either.

He's oldest of 3 children, diff. schools, diff. activities, etc. It won't be easy.

What if he says it was just a joke?

You suck. Parenting isn't easy. You know what else isn't easy? Burying kids!!!! You're an absolute ass for allowing your kid to pull this crap

Oh, I so agree.

What's also not easy, being the parent of these assh*le survivors yet alone being one of the survivors. That POS that killed the family on River road or that POS who killed two of his friends after drinking at the party in Maryland? Seriously, OP, do you want to read about your what a POS you or your kid on DCUM or the Post now and forever?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Came across some group messages of my son's. One of them: "i just passed [friend] going 95 [mph]"

Take the Jeep away? Issue is taking the car away makes my life miserable.

Take the car and give him a bus/subway pass! Let him figure out how to get around for a few months!

[Anonymous]

We had a similar situation and I took the keys away for a month. Now he's allowed to drive to and from school only. It's been several months and I'm not inclined to lighten up any time soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had a similar situation and I took the keys away for a month. Now he's allowed to drive to and from school only. It's been several months and I'm not inclined to lighten up any time soon.

Similar how?