Teen Driver: How Do You Like My Driving?

You’ve no doubt heard (or perhaps uttered) those same words before. Tattletaling may not be a “nice” thing to do, but it can be an invaluable tool to learn that your child is not exactly the innocent angel you thought he was. While it probably takes a lot of self control not to roll your eyes up into your head when you’re informed that your teenager said a “bad” word or showed someone a rude gesture, you’ll nonetheless likely offer the standard parental response, “Thanks for telling me, I’ll talk to him about it later.” Meanwhile, what you’re really thinking is “Oh, give me a freaking break and get over it” because you’ve got other (more important) things to worry about than your kid insulting someone.

But what if one of those “more important things to worry about” concerns your teenager – your newly licensed teenager – who was seen driving inappropriately? Wouldn’t you want someone to tattle on him? Sure you would. That nosy old biddy from down the street has probably got your phone number on her speed dial. But your teenager probably drives with the utmost care as he approaches the house, and unless Biddy is following him around in her electric scooter, who is left to tattle when he’s out and about and out of sight of the homestead?

Everyone! That is, if you’ve got a “how’d you like my driving?” bumper sticker on your car. You’ve seen them on 18-wheelers, but now they make them specifically for new teenage drivers. Brilliant, isn’t it? Sure, your teen will be mortified and complain vociferously about how you don’t trust him, but you hold your ground and insist that that bumper sticker be displayed prominently. You do need to know that he’s driving with care. And, besides, what’s the point of becoming a parent if you can’t embarrass your child now and again.  But you will come out on top by ensuring you have the best car insurance for teenagers.