Driveway Safety

[Suzie_Homemaker]

We just have one car so when our sons living at home, we had some conditions of use for them.

1. They paid for additional cost of insurance. They getting to drive our asset of many thousand dollars so they contributed to cost of them having privilege.

2. Our car service schedule was small service, medium service, small service, big service. Our sons pay for small service to contribute to wear and tear cost.

3. My husband and I have priority of car use. I not intending to book my own car when I needed it.

4. Privileges are earned based on trust. If we saw sons speeding, driving without sensible, then privilege GONE. Buy own car, and trash that but not ours. No second chance. Very lucky to be able to use vehicle they not worked to buy so be respectful of that.

5. I always say to my sons, "Sorry not shown in words but in actions. Show me you really sorry but not repeating."

I would not be concerned your son not think you cool. I would tell him that I not think he's cool disrespecting my drive and my car. I not here to be cool, I here to protect my investment since it clear he not going to.

Boys - so much easier when could ground. Not so easy when they men with children's brains. I found teenager years and early 20's very hard. Moment of incredible proudness of men they becoming but moment of shaking head that someone so big can not have proportional brain.

[Lee-Bee]

Maybe I am just mean and no fun but my 26month old is not allowed to sit in the front of the car, play with the doors, play with the buttons on the door, open the window or anything related to the car. When I have more than one child in the car they all get unbuckled and they all go out the same door (when I open it). The other day my husband went to teach our daughter to open the door from the outside. I quickly made it clear it was not acceptable. It didn't see why...so I pointed out he was responsible for the costs of her opening the door in a parking lot and smacking the car next to us because she has no concept of space. He quickly decided it is best to not let her open the door lol. I don't care to let a 2yr old know they can open the door (from inside or out) when they want to...for then I cannot control what they step into on the outside or prevent them from going in the car when it's hot and over heating when she can't get back out. ok...maybe I am overly paranoid but cars are just not meant to be played with in my opinion!!!!!

It drives me bonkers when my 2.5 yr old DCG gets picked up and every. single. day. they let her in the front seat (of the car they leave running) to push buttons, steer, leap over the front seat, run around back before they try and convince her to get in her seat. Cars are NOT a toy, they should not be treated like one and should not be viewed as one. It is just too much of a risk.

I still remember in grade 5 a classmate got dropped off on the street in front of the school and his dad ran into him. It was only a bump and he was fine but this was a 10yr old that just jumped in front of the car and the dad mistakenly thought the son would wait until he drove off. If a 10yr old can mindlessly do such a thing then we can NEVER expect a 2-5 year old not to. They are fast, unpredictable and just plain random.

Not sure what to suggest, aside from making some clear 'rules' as to what you expect from the parents while using your driveway.