Being a teenager isn’t easy – there’s so much pressure to contend with… from parents, from teachers and even from friends. While teenagers might be willing to blow off their parents or teachers, blow off a friend? Never. There’s too much at stake. But, herein is the heart of the problem: “Friends” tend to put the wrong kind of pressure on your teenager, contrary to the way you’ve been trying to raise him or her. Reckless and dangerous behaviors are encouraged, many times as a rite of passage or initiation into a clique… “just have one drink, one little drink isn’t gonna kill ya” or “go on and take a hit, what are ya, a weenie?” or “crank this baby up to 90 and let’s hit the mall; your parents won’t even know you were there.” Peer pressure – it’s a frightening reality for many parents and many teens.
When “friends” are putting pressure on your teenage driver to drive too fast, too far, in the dark, with a drink under their belt, too many people in the car, without seat belts, etc., etc., it will take a lot of courage for your child to withstand it. Saying “no” is never easy, but with practice (and a deep breath) it can be done. It’s a matter of coming up with some “excuses” that are plausible enough to get you off the hook. But when all else fails, there’s always the clincher, “No way. My parents will freak, and it just ain’t worth the lecture.” And, should that fail to persuade your “friends,” it’s time to accept that you need to find real friends – the kind who’d never put you in harm’s way.
Tip: Despite all these questions, have you looked into car insurance for teenagers?
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