Anonymous wrote:I say 95% of high students aren't prepared for the responsibility of getting behind the wheel of a car.

But just how do you *make* responsible for the task?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I say 95% of high students aren't prepared for the responsibility of getting behind the wheel of a car.

But just how do you *make* responsible for the task?

*make THEM...

My above statement rings even more true after 13:53's comment.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I say 95% of high students aren't prepared for the responsibility of getting behind the wheel of a car.

But just how do you *make* responsible for the task?

*make THEM...

Anonymous wrote:I say 95% of high students aren't prepared for the responsibility of getting behind the wheel of a car.

But just how do you *make* responsible for the task?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Sweet Jesus. How old are your kids? Because my son is 17. He has a job. He drives himself to sports- for example Legion baseball doesn't have buses, kids carpool and travel together, sometimes up to an hour away. He takes his girlfriend out on dates. He's going shopping today to buy her an gift- kinda tough when both parents work.

Listen- my kid is moving out of our house in about 14 months. If you honestly think you can foster independence by keeping him in bubble wrap until he's 18, I will strongly disagree. Driving a car has very little to do with being the "cool kid".

Does fostering independence require a driver's license? You can't have an independent kid unless the kid has a driver's license and access to a car?

I think it adds to it. Are you seriously going to drive your kid to and from a job? Drive him on dates? Take him to his friends' houses?

How old are your kids and when did YOU start driving? I'm genuinely curious.

Not the PP you're responding to but NO, i won't, because we bought in the city where he can get his own ass to school, friends houses, dates, etc without ever needing to get behind the wheel. My kids' safety and independence was more important to us than 5 bedrooms and a big yard.

But I live in an area with no public transportation. It is literally impossible to get to a job, go on a date, or go to friends' houses without walking, riding a bike, or driving a car. And driving a car is safer than riding a bike 10 miles on a county road to a friends house on Saturday night.

Here's a newsflash- not everybody lives the life YOU live.

You failed to answer part of my question- how old are your kids?

Too bad you chose a big house and yard over your kids safety, guess you don't love them as much as I love mine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

My kid is 12. I started driving when I was 21 and bought a car. Before then, I got around on foot, on a bike, on the bus, and in other people's cars. My niece is about to turn 18, she doesn't have a driver's license, and she gets around on a bike, on the bus, and on the Metro, as well as being driven by her parents.

Just over half of teenagers have a driver's license at 18 these days, compared to two-thirds 20 years ago.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/fewer-teens-get-drivers-licenses/2013/07/31/60a32aae-f9c7-11e2-a369-d1954abcb7e3_story.html

Exactly. The smarter kids are successfully building their lives WITHOUT a car.

I'm the PP you're responding to. I didn't say anything about "smarter" kids. Kids who are able to get around without a car, do. Kids who aren't, don't.

The "smarter kids" are indeed just my opinion.
Now, that's *real* independence! Again, my opinion.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Sweet Jesus. How old are your kids? Because my son is 17. He has a job. He drives himself to sports- for example Legion baseball doesn't have buses, kids carpool and travel together, sometimes up to an hour away. He takes his girlfriend out on dates. He's going shopping today to buy her an gift- kinda tough when both parents work.

Listen- my kid is moving out of our house in about 14 months. If you honestly think you can foster independence by keeping him in bubble wrap until he's 18, I will strongly disagree. Driving a car has very little to do with being the "cool kid".

Does fostering independence require a driver's license? You can't have an independent kid unless the kid has a driver's license and access to a car?

I think it adds to it. Are you seriously going to drive your kid to and from a job? Drive him on dates? Take him to his friends' houses?

How old are your kids and when did YOU start driving? I'm genuinely curious.

Not the PP you're responding to but NO, i won't, because we bought in the city where he can get his own ass to school, friends houses, dates, etc without ever needing to get behind the wheel. My kids' safety and independence was more important to us than 5 bedrooms and a big yard.

But I live in an area with no public transportation. It is literally impossible to get to a job, go on a date, or go to friends' houses without walking, riding a bike, or driving a car. And driving a car is safer than riding a bike 10 miles on a county road to a friends house on Saturday night.

Here's a newsflash- not everybody lives the life YOU live.

You failed to answer part of my question- how old are your kids?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The goal is to get them to stop, or never start. Jail doesn't always do that. But if they have an intractable problem, sometimes jail is the only way to keep others safe.

The goal should be to raise them right to obey
(yes, I actually said the dirty word)
OBEY their parents.
This needs to start early.

If your kid doesn't obey you,
why in the hell are you giving him car keys??

This is the worst view of parenting I have ever read. Really bad.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Your kid is one in a thousand if he hasn't already "experienced" alcohol. Kudos to you! If he's really made it this far, I doubt he'll have a problem in college... just as long as you're not getting duped here.

One in a thousand? You're exaggerating the stats. It is generally reported that between 20-40% of high school kids drink alcohol. That means that 60-80% don't drink. My son is top 5 in his class and very focused on athletics and his health. His friends are generally the same. My wife is a teacher. We are friends with several teachers in the school. We communicate with his friends parents. And we live in a small town/small school so kids aren't lost in a mass of students.

I'm well aware that he may have drank, I just feel confident that he's making good choices. And he has earned a lot of trust from us over the last few years. He's not perfect. We're not perfect. But I wonder why you don't trust your kids at all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The goal is to get them to stop, or never start. Jail doesn't always do that. But if they have an intractable problem, sometimes jail is the only way to keep others safe.

The goal should be to raise them right to obey
(yes, I actually said the dirty word)
OBEY their parents.
This needs to start early.

If your kid doesn't obey you,
why in the hell are you giving him car keys??

Personally, I'm not into making my kid obedient. I'm into making him think and act smart.

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Your kid is one in a thousand if he hasn't already "experienced" alcohol. Kudos to you! If he's really made it this far, I doubt he'll have a problem in college... just as long as you're not getting duped here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Sweet Jesus. How old are your kids? Because my son is 17. He has a job. He drives himself to sports- for example Legion baseball doesn't have buses, kids carpool and travel together, sometimes up to an hour away. He takes his girlfriend out on dates. He's going shopping today to buy her an gift- kinda tough when both parents work.

Listen- my kid is moving out of our house in about 14 months. If you honestly think you can foster independence by keeping him in bubble wrap until he's 18, I will strongly disagree. Driving a car has very little to do with being the "cool kid".

Does fostering independence require a driver's license? You can't have an independent kid unless the kid has a driver's license and access to a car?

I think it adds to it. Are you seriously going to drive your kid to and from a job? Drive him on dates? Take him to his friends' houses?

How old are your kids and when did YOU start driving? I'm genuinely curious.

Not the PP you're responding to but NO, i won't, because we bought in the city where he can get his own ass to school, friends houses, dates, etc without ever needing to get behind the wheel. My kids' safety and independence was more important to us than 5 bedrooms and a big yard.