| Ok, here's a thing that's been bothering me for a couple of years and I'm embarrassed to say that it's taken me this long to come up with a decent, although not perfect, solution. Here's the paradox: This whole contract concept is based on the idea that we be willing to say to our new drivers: "You can't drive until you agree to these rules in writing." And, related to that, if we learn the rules of the contract are violated, it's about being willing to take the keys and suspend driving privileges for a time. The problem is that it increasingly seems true that a lack of driving experience is the main problem, more than youth. It's complicated, but there's no question that lack of experience is a key problem. So, if we delay letting our teenagers drive, or if we take them off the road in response to rule-breaking, when they're off the road they aren't becoming better drivers because they're not getting experience. Here's my suggested solution, which I've incorporated into this website. If your teen refuses a contract (and no one has ever told me that their teenager has held out more than a few hours) or if you have to pull driving privileges under the terms of the contract, pull INDEPENDENT driving privileges and revert to "Learner's Permit Mode." Encourage, even require, your teenager to drive, but drive with a parent in the car with them. Keep this up during the time that the teenager's independent driving privileges are suspended. Dale |
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Taking Teens Off the Road: The Paradoxposted Aug 31, 2008 12:18 PM by Dale Wisely [ updated Aug 31, 2008 12:32 PM ] |