Straight talk about Texting & Driving

Parents, please take a minute to read this post recommended by Mrs. Putnal, written by Dr. Charles Fay of the Love and Logic Institute. We all need this reminder...

    He was driving the speed limit of 35 miles per hour through a quiet residential neighborhood. His destination, the high school, was less than two miles away. He collided with a parked car and died of his injuries.

    This true story involved one quick choice and less than four seconds.
     According to research conducted at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New York, more than 3,000 teens are killed annually from texting-related automobile crashes.
     In our audio, Real Talk on Technology, we provide practical strategies for navigating the challenges of parenting in the 21^st century digital age. These include strategies for helping kids make good decisions about the web, social media, video games, coping with cyber bullying, etc.
    Related to texting while driving, every parent must ask themselves: (1) Am I using my phone while driving? (2) Do I control my phone, or does my phone control me?  (3)  Have I admitted to my teens that I can't ensure that they survive?

    The first two questions are simple and straightforward. As we all know, actions speak louder than words. Children get their first driving lessons as soon as they reach the size allowing forward-facing car safety seats. Kids rarely develop better self-control than what they see possessed by their parents.
    The final question is less obvious yet extremely important. Do our teens know that their lives depend on the quality of their own decisions? Or have we led them to believe that we can somehow rescue them from every poor choice they make?
      Parent:  “Do you think I can make sure that you don’t make a deadly decision behind the wheel… like drinking and driving… texting… or something else?”
     Teen:  “What do you mean? I guess no.”
     Parent:  “You’re right. As much as I wish that I could always keep you from making a tragic mistake, who needs to be the one who does this?”
    Every choice matters. The sooner our kids learn this, the better.
Dr. CharlesFay
Love and Logic Institute