There are some vital things you need to do before you buy your teen a car. Read on to find out what they are.
Work out whether they are ready for the responsibility.
First things first before you spend all that money on getting your teen a car you need to decide whether they are truly ready for the responsibility. The good news is that there is no one better positioned than you to make this decision.
Of course, you teens will do all they can to convince you that they are ready, but I recommend considering more than just what they are saying. It’s best to look at their behaviour over the last year or so. Have they been doing well in their studies, or at work? Can they be relied upon to do the things they are asked to do without nagging? If the answer is no you may have to wait for some time, to give them a chance to prove themselves before you make such a big investment.
Also, a car isn’t just about independence, it’s also something that can do a great deal of harm, both to those riding in it and other road users. Therefore you need to be very sure that your teen is responsible enough to drive safely before you go ahead and buy them their own.
Do your research
Next, before buying a car for your teen you need to work with them to do some thorough research. The types of things you need to find out about include how much a vehicle will cost not only to buy but to run. That means including petrol prices, insurance, road tax, and roadside assistance as well as any maintenance and repairs.
You’ll also want to look at how safe the vehicle you are considering is, as well as its performance, fuel economy and value. Happily, it is possible to find honest car reviews online. All you need to do is look for providers like Edmunds that go out of their way to offer detailed reviews for every make and model they offer. You can even compare them easily, which can help make your final decision a lot simpler.
Set down some ground rules and consequences
You probably already know that when it comes to parenting teenagers, ground rules and consequences are a must. Of course, this especially applies when you choose to get them a car. After all, you don’t want to have to take on the responsibility of cleaning and maintaining it along with everything else you do as a parent.
To that end, you need to be very clear about what you expect your teenager to do, such as clean the interior and exterior once a week. This is also a good time to set your expectations on things like how long you expect the distance they drive should be, as well as curfew times. Just be sure to back up any infringements with consequences.
Teach them how to clean and maintain it
Finally, before you buy your teenager a car you need to make sure that they know the basics of how to safely maintain it. This means showing them how to check the oil, and water, change a tire, and windscreen wiper blades, as well as check tyre pressure.
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