As I wrote in my last blog, my 16-year-old daughter took her behind-the-wheel test at the California Department of Motor Vehicles last week, and passed. She is now licensed to drive. I read an article some time ago in which a child psychologist suggested having new teenage drivers sign a contract binding them to rules and regulations for precautionary measures. Most accidents involving teens occur during the first year of driving and most of these accidents are caused by the driver not paying attention (putting on makeup, changing the radio station, etc.). So I got on the internet and found an appropriate contract for my daughter to sign.(Google teen driving contracts)

The laws have changed drastically over the last few years preventing teens from having friends in their car with them for the first year after getting their license. New drivers in California are also not allowed to drive between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. during that first year. But there are so many other factors that need to be addressed such as where they are and are not allowed to drive, how far from home they are allowed to take the car, if drugs or alcohol are ever consumed while driving, etc. Hence the contract, what a great idea! My daughter was somewhat reluctant to this idea. In fact she thought it was “stupid.”

The contract author suggests having your teen read each line of the contract out loud in front of their parents before agreeing to and signing each rule so there are no misunderstandings or communication gaps in the translation of what is expected from them. My daughter did not like this at all. In fact she at one point said she feels like she did not have a choice but to sign the contract. I smiled, slid back from the table, and explained she in fact did have a choice. I told her she did not have to agree to anything in the contract, however, she would not be allowed to drive. We negotiated several small items in the contract and worked it out.

I believe she now she realizes just because she has her own car does not mean she is free to do whatever she wants whenever she wants to do it. I truly believe some of the items in the contract will give her a scapegoat should she ever feel pressure from her friends. I explained this to her and told her to feel free to use the contract to keep from being pressured into doing something she would not want to do. Monitoring our children (whether it is cell phone use, computer use, or the use of a car) is our job as parents.