Unprotected Text…
We’ve seen the reports – we’ve heard the stories, we know the statistics, yet they still do it, and we still flail a bit and wonder how to get through to them. Bottom line is this: Texting while Driving is DANGEROUS.
It’s scary enough to know that my teenager is about to be on the road by himself – assuming he passes his test on Wednesday. After all, I’ve BEEN in the car with him these past two years teaching him to drive. Just kidding – he does really well. but still. TEENAGER. in BIG TRUCK. WITHOUT me to NAG. Or to stomp on the phantom break on the passenger side in a panic while he rolls his eyes and groans… but then there’s the added fear that my parents didn’t have: texting.
The laws are there – don’t talk on the cell phone, don’t text while driving. It’s one of those laws that makes me shake my head on one hand – because you’d think that would be common sense, but on the other – we’re talking the human race, and we, collectively, have repeatedly shown our lack of common sense.
Problem is, most parents are too soft, too weak to take away their kids phone. Harsh? You bet. Parents need to parent their kids – so do it! Excuses like ‘they need it for emergencies, they need it to keep track of where they’re at’ – it’s just that. An excuse. You’re kid does something dangerous, then you need to man up and make the punishment fit the crime. They text and drive, take it away. They do it again, turn off texting period. Take away the keys. MAKE them RESPECT the privilege of driving, of texting, hell, make them respect the privilege of breathing! We did just fine with pay phones growing up – they can too!
So how do we break through to our kids, and get the dangers imprinted into their text addled minds? The creators of a PSA in Wales think they know: a psa so graphic, bloody and real that it shocks them into silence – hopefully texting silence while on the road. There’s a huge debate right now about whether the PSA is ever going to get past USA Censors so it can be seen by our kids. Fortunately it’s on youtube – with over 500k views, and climbing.
Whether it ever gets through the censors, I encourage you STRONGLY to show this to your kids before they get into their car, and TALK TO THEM about it. List the consequences of their actions as well, should they text and drive. Make sure that they know they will lose the privilege – and it IS a privilege, not a right.
Some parents are afraid that scare tactics won’t work, some think the statistics won’t work, some think that their teens will do whatever they want anyway, so why bother? I’m telling you now -watch the video below, and then? Bother. Bother them until you’re blue in the face. My family is on those roads with your texting teen – I will do everything in my power to make sure that MY teen is not texting behind the wheel while you’re family is out there. I expect the same from you.
My Twirl Girl!
Peppermist: MOM! Don’t bring the camera. It’s our first performance! We JUST learned the routine this morning! And you’re gonna put it on the internets, so leave the camera at home!
Me: What, are you freakin’ NEW?! Have we met? Hi. I’m yer mum. I bitch about teenagers on the internet. With pictures. And video. Welcome to your life.
Peppermist: MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
(For the record – she laughed. She thinks you all are imaginary anyway. 🙂 )
So I told ya earlier about the color guard. The first day -she got up RIGHT AWAY. After that, I’ve had to drag her out of bed every day. She even slept through the new old style REALLY FREAKIN LOUD alarm I got her. But being the good mom that I am, I wake her up and get her to practice every day.
And her payback for making me drag her around at so early an hour? This:
For a first performance? they did really well. Especially as they only had a week to practice. Mainly this video is so that we can compare through the season, and see how awesome she – and the rest of the color guard becomes.
At least – that’s my excuse. Bottom line? I just love to embarrass my kids. 🙂
Letting go…
Since my husband died, one of the hardest things to do has been to watch my son grow up without his father. Wednesday marked the end of our fourth year since his death, and while we keep moving on, keep plugging away day to day, his loss is something still very fresh and raw – for my son, perhaps, more than his sisters. He’d never say it, but it shows in little ways – the way he’s determined to help pay his own way, the care he takes of me and his sisters (though he’d never admit the latter, he is STILL their big brother!), the insistence that he take on more responsibility on his own with each little step aimed at lessening my stress level just a touch.
Most of this, I think he does without thinking about it, as that’s simply how he is. He’s always been the friend others lean on, the one who’d give you the shirt off his back multiple times if you need it – but if you fuck him over… well. you’re dead to him. heh. He gets that from his daddy too.
There are things that he’s done, though, that were aimed expressly at becoming more independent. First, he got a job in the cafeteria, so that his lunches were free – all on his own. Truth be told, that thought hadn’t even occurred to me. Secondly, he took over monitoring his own grades in an act of defiant responsibility – also known as MOM QUIT NAGGING!
Our school system using an online source where parents and students can keep track of assignments and grades and contact the teachers easily. Last year, The Boy took a stand, and asked that I just TRUST him, and let him take care of it – to believe him when he says he’s passing, and that he’s caught up on the credits he needs, that he was in line for graduation.
It was hard for me to let go of that control, of that ability to peek and nag. I checked in with him often, doing what I always preach up in here – TALKING TO MY KID – but I did not go into his account and double check. I trusted he was telling me the truth about his grades. When I received his report card, I discovered that he was, indeed, taking care of things on his own. It was frightening and exhilarating all at once. This growing up stuff, is HARD. (…for ME.) Hard enough that I admit, while setting up the parent accounts for this year – I peeked JUST TO MAKE SURE that he had the credits needed, though I was pretty sure he did, since he qualified for Work Release. (basically a half day of school.) But I figure I was due ONE peek, after a whole YEAR of being good.. right? Right? (Just nod your head. Thanks. 🙂 )
This year, he took this whole responsibility thing a bit further. In one of the Senior courses, the new requirement is that you have to clock a certain amount of community service hours. Uh, my kid is not a community service kinda kid. He gets that from me – I’m not a joiner, in any form. While he’ll do something on his own – if it’s REQUIRED and OFFICIAL, he gets a little irritated. So he found another way, helped out by his best friend’s girlfriend who did the same.
After asking my permission, my son skipped school yesterday and went to the HomeSchool office, ordered this course as a home study course, got all of the information on where and how to take the test to get the credit, PAID FOR IT HIMSELF, cleared it with his school councilor, rearranged his schedule to take a different required course that he would have taken next semester – thus increasing his load THIS semester. All I had to do was sign the paper.
While part of me is proud of the initiative he took, and how he completed it all on his own, I have to admit there’s a small part of me that cried. Just a tiny part of my heart wonders just where my little boy went. You know, the one who needed me for everything, the one who depending on me to make things right for him, including nagging about school and helping him rearrange priorities when it was necessary. Not that I’ll stop nagging – but still. What happened to THAT kid?
While I’ll always miss those little arms wrapped around my neck, cradled in the safety of mama’s arms… I have to admit that this growing up thing is kinda cool. Bottom line – I’m proud of the man he’s becoming. And the almost-grown-up-Senior-in-high-school-taking-care-of-business hugs are pretty nice too.
Strong as Steel Sweepstakes!
Have YOU entered?! You can enter once a day, every day! Click HERE to do so, then scroll down for the newest PTB Entry!
Strong as Steel!
Ooooooooooooh this is good! Remember that important bit of news I said I had coming? It’s here!
A while back, I was contacted about the new humorous look at the strength of GE’s appliance line, GE Stainless Steel Kitchen Appliances. Strong as Steel is a funny take on the strength of the new appliances, with some fitness experts – AND Ali Sweeny from the Biggest Loser! (LOOOOOOVE HER!)
I was in the process of getting my sites moved and back up to speed, so wasn’t able to participate in the original announcements and discount period – but Deana, lovely lady that she is, made sure we were included in the next step – and it’s a BIGGY…
Here – I’ll let THEM tell it:
Dude – it’s like our name in LIGHTS! It certainly made me grin, as does the entire Strong as Steel site and videos! AND! Parenting Teens Blog was chosen to be one of the places to post this sweepstakes – one of YOU might be the lucky winner! So be sure to sign up using the above bridgit every single day! I would be THRILLED to have one of you win a new appliance!
What are you waiting for? Enter Today – and help me spread the word, too!
