Ding in the Door

Where do you park a brand new car at the mall to keep it from the inevitable scratch? Park with the rest of us that have realized out vehicles don't drive well when they are bubble-wrapped.

Cars can't be insulated from dents and dings and neither can teens. Where they are parked will certainly decrease the chances of harm but some blemishes will just happen over time. Your teen might miss the exit at a party with alcohol. Your son might end up in reverse in math class. Your daughter might park a bit too close to a dangerous situation.

How do you react to a new-found-flaw on your vehicle or in your teen? Let's take a slow, calm evaluation of the damage and then decide if there is a lesson to be learned. All mistakes are not created equal and accidents happen.

Trying to avoid every imperfection will be virtually impossible to take control of and just drive you crazy. We can't lock up our teens in the garage like a classic gem. We might love them like they are more precious than a vintage Corvette convertible but for goodness sake - teens can't be on the road to greatness if we don't let them safely back down the driveway.

Teens will get a ding in the door. Is it worth the rage or would a composed conversation be a better solution to keep them from ending up in that tight spot again?

Thoughts?
Lisa j
www.DatersEd.com