Change in the Family - A Teen with a Driver's License
Exciting but Traumatic
Our son was so excited to get his driver's license a couple of months ago when he turned 16. Not only that, he landed his first job at an amusement park nearby - all on his own.
This has brought about a number of interesting changes to our family that we knew would come someday but are having to deal with now. I confess to being traumatized but I'm sure I'll get over it (eventually).
Things are Different Now - the Good
1. He has a job now and his own money. Yeah!
2. He pays for his own gas for the car.
3. He pays for his part of the car insurance (astronomical for a teen) to drive.
4. He is learning valuable lessons about independence, responsibility, budgeting (yeah, right), punctuality, personal hygiene, why it is important to have clean laundry, job performance and working with customers and other employees.
Things are Different Now - The Bad
1. Our teen has a driver's license.
2. Our teen has a job.
3. He wants to drive (by himself) everywhere.
4. Instead of driving the car we had intended for him to drive (my mom's lime green VW Beetle), he has comandeered my maroon Pontiac Bonneville. The Beetle is apparently not cool enough for a teen driver. Now I drive the Beetle and am the uncool one.
5. He works the evening shift (usually) at work and thus gets home anywhere between 10 pm and 1:30 am. Moms typically don't sleep until their child(ren) are home. I am now as sleep-deprived as I was when he was born.
6. He would rather be out with his friends than spend time with the family. Typical teen, but sad for us. We miss him.
7. We have fewer meals together as a family. However, we have learned to enjoy and cherish the ones we do have.
8. I constantly worry about his safety on the road. He's a good driver (most of the time!) but it's often the "others" one has to worry about.
Not the Ugly but the Facts
Just as it's sometimes hard to face getting older, it's hard to let go of your children. As they grow, there are new changes and worries with every age. Having a new driver in the family brings its challenges for everyone.
One day at a time.
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