The Other Talk You Need to Have with Your Teens
You probably thought this was going to be something uncomfortable but trust me....I would never do that to you. Just knowing someone was reading that here would make my face beet red and I would be having palpitations.....I'll leave that talk totally up to YOU!
The talk I'm referring to is the one about driving safety. Peer pressure can invade every part of our teen's lives including driving. They may want to look cool so they drive faster than they should.....they may want to be sure they don't miss a thing so they read and answer every text even when they're driving.....they may take a selfie while driving.....and the list goes on and on. I've even noticed that while watching TV with my kids some 'reality' shows make light of those behaviors or have them as a part of their attempt at getting laughs.
As parents we need to make sure we prepare our children by first being a good example when we're driving and that means no texting, no distractions from our cell phone {put it in the glove compartment so you're not tempted to look at it}, wearing our safety belt, being aware of the conditions of the road and so much more. If you aren't sure where to start with this discussion {I wasn't either} or what you need to go over with your children the Driving Skills for Life site by Ford is the place to go.
The Driving Skills for Life Academy has a collection of videos that you can watch together, take the quizzes and then discuss.
Some of the topics include Driving Position, Space Management, Hazard Recognition, Speed Management and Vehicle Handling ~ these are topics that on my own I wouldn't necessarily have even thought of to share with my sons. Knowing I can use these resources {for free} has given me a sense of relief and empowerment.
Most of us will have some downtime with our kids over the upcoming holiday school breaks and this would be the perfect time to sit down and have 'The Talk' except this talk won't involve blushing.
The Driving Skills for Life website also offers a Pledge that you and your young driver can take. As a reminder of the Pledge I made these free downloadables below that can be used as a screensaver on most devices.
Download 1024 x 768 (most regular sized monitors)
Download 1280 x 800 (for most wide screen monitors)
Download 1024 x 1024 (for most tablet type devices)
Download 320 x 480 (for most smartphones)
Here are some other articles you might find helpful:
Modeling the Behavior You Want to See
What is Ford MyKey
I would love to know if you take the pledge and have this important discussion with your young drivers ~ feel free to let me know via the comments below.
