I don't have any teenagers in the family yet, but I've got a couple of kids who seem to think they are and try to act like it every now and then. Luckily it will be a few years before either of them are driving and I have to start paying insurance on them. Or perhaps I'll do what my parents and they won't get their license until they're almost 18.
Here's a post from a guest blogger that's got some tips for me in a few years and anyone else that may be looking at those teenager years in their own household.
If you have teenagers you know that your teenagers are changing everyday. One day they are going to movies with friends, next is going on a date and then the really big ones come such as learning to drive or heading off to college and it all happens very fast.
There are many significant milestones that a teenager has during their teen years we could not possibly cover them all in this post but here are a few big ones to help you understand what to expect and how to give your teenagers the freedom to become young adults while still instilling responsibility in them.
Teenager Life Change #1: Starting High School
Once high school begins your child will start to make choices that could very well shape their life's path. Not to say everyone does in the grown-up world what they say they will do in high school but it does lay a foundation for your learning and career skills.
This will definitely be an exciting and probably nerve wracking time for you and your child. The best way to avoid the nerve wracking part is to be informed and prepared. Go to all the school orientation events, read the materials and talk to other parents whose children are attending or have attended your high school of choice.
Once you child heads off to high school that first day it will probably feel a little bittersweet knowing how close they are to being a young adult. Work hard to make sure your child stays involved in not only their academics but extra-curricular activities and clubs that can give them big boosts when it comes time for college.
Teenager Life Change #2: Driving
This is no doubt one of the hardest things a parent of a teenager has to do and that is handing over the keys to the car for the first time and letting them head out on their own. Whether you like it or not though it is coming! So it is a good idea to be ready for it.
Although this is probably the hardest thing for a parent it is the thing that every teenager wants most. So you need to temper that excitement with good common sense safe driving skills.
Most states require drivers ed these days but if you state does not it is still a great idea to enroll your child. Once your child is fully licensed, they also have to enter the world of auto insurance for teenagers. Car insurance can put a dent on your budget so you will want to try to find and utilize as many discounts as possible. You may also look into bear river insurance products to determine if they're a good fit for your kid's insurance needs. Be careful in the selection of the vehicle you buy for your teenager, discounts are often given for good grades and completion of drivers safety courses. Lastly, if your teenager has been issued a traffic ticket, you may consult with traffic lawyers to learn the best course of action you can take.
Teenager Life Change #3: Getting a Job
I mentioned earlier that driving is the parent's least favorite part and the child's favorite; this is where the roles reverse. Getting a job is still a right of passage but it has become much harder for teens to find work in the US.
Teenage unemployment is at an all time high it shot up 40% from 2007 to 2008 and lost another 50.1% in 2009. The means that a significant number of teens who want jobs cannot find them. However do not be discouraged just by that fact because there are in fact still many teens that do have jobs. The job market for teens has just changed a bit since we were in it.
Help you child be creative the reality is with the amount of knowledge teenagers have today on technology, social media and computers in general is really a pretty impressive skill set.
One way to help a teen earn money is to teach them to learn to make money from their passions. Also have them use their very savvy social media skills to connect with people and let them know they are looking for a job. If they continue to actively pursue a job they likely will find one.
Teenager Life Change #4: Heading to College/ Moving Out
So you made it through high school, driving and hopefully getting your teen into the workforce. Once high school is over one of three things is going to happen. The first is that your child goes off to college; the second is that your child moves out of the house and third is that your child wants to stay right there at home and for you to keep doing his laundry.
Never have the choices been harder about what to do after high school. 20-30 years ago there was a clear path you went to college, graduated, got a job, got married, started a family and lived happily ever after. In today's world young people are in debt if they go to college with not many more job prospects depending on their degree and they are waiting much longer to start families and a whole lot of them still live at home into their 30's, searching for how to make 10000 fast due to debt and the job market.
If your teen is leaving though it will definitely be a very emotional time for you. Although you will be excited about their new journey and all the great things to come it will be an end of a chapter of one of the most important parts of your life, when your kids were at home with you.
Those four things are by far the most exciting and stressful things you will go through as a parent of a teenager. The key to all of them is to know what you are in for and to make sure you provide your teenager with all the tools to succeed and be productive adults.
This article was written by Stephanie Sanchez who blogs at www.insurancetipsandrates.com which offers insurance tips and auto insurance quotes.