Rules and Consequences
Almost
anyone
who
lives
with
a
teenager
can
tell
you
of
a
time
when
they
got
so
frustrated
that
they
grounded
the
teen
to
their
room
for
the
next
six
months
and
then
wondered, “What have I done?”
Make
your
rules
and
consequences
before
the
crisis
arises
and
discuss
them
with
your
teenager
at
a
quiet
time.
You
are
the
responsible
adult
in
determining
rules
and
consequences
-
decide
in
advance
whether
the
rules
and
consequences
are
fair
and
enforceable,
listen
to
your
teen’s
thoughts
and
opinions
and
think
them
over
before
making
a
decision,
but
give
yourself
time
to
think
rather
than
negotiating
on
the
spot.
Take
a
look
at
the
Driving
Agreements
page
if
you
would
like
some
suggestions
about
where to begin.
As
you
develop
family
rules
about
driving,
keep
the
three
most
common
factors
in
crashes involving Novice Drivers in mind:
inexperience
-
introduce
new
and
more
challenging
driving
locations
and
situations gradually over several months;
reckless driving
-
teenagers
are
impulsive:
as
the
Novice
Driver
shows
more
responsibility and maturity, gradually allow more freedom and
independence;
distracted driving
- cell phones, and particularly texting, are at least as
dangerous as drunk driving, and are very difficult to control. Surveys show
that the main thing that teens agree would control cell phone use is the
certain and long term removal of driving privileges. It would be painful to
take away a Novice Driver’s licence for six months, but it is a better
alternative than a crash.
- another huge distraction is passengers - start with one
passenger and gradually (over months) allow more.
Keep
your
agreement
clear,
concise
and
enforceable
-
“Say
what
you
mean,
mean
what
you say, and do what you say you’re going to do.”
One
final
note
on
Rules
and
Consequences
-
it
is
much
easier
to
enforce
consequences
(such
as
no
use
of
the
vehicle
for
the
next
two
months)
if
the
adults
actually
own
the
vehicle
and
control
the
keys.
It
is
attractive
to
have
your
Novice
Driver
in
control
of
their
own
vehicle
(and
responsible
for
fuel,
maintenance,
licensing
and
insurance),
but
that will make it difficult to withhold driving privileges if they don’t follow the rules.