The times, they are a-changing. When we were young, we couldn’t wait to get our driver’s licenses. For some of us, it was one of the more exciting parts of our teenage years. But the newest wave of would-be drivers is increasingly less excited to get their licenses. If you have a teen who isn’t motivated to drive, convincing them to do so can be a task. Here are some ways you can get your teen on the path toward a driver’s license.
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Ask Why They Haven’t
This is the first step in motivating your teen to learn how to drive. Find out why they haven’t done it themselves. The majority of us may get grunts and shrugs as answers, but some may learn something. Perhaps they’re nervous about driving. Maybe they don’t see a reason to because their friends and family members give them rides. Once you know why they don’t want to learn how to drive, you can decide how to motivate them to do so.
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Tell Them What They Could Gain
Perhaps a little perspective is needed. Tell them about the world that opens up for them once they have their license. They can get a job to buy the things they want. Tell them they can have greater freedom to see their friends when they want. Maybe promise them a road trip, if you’re brave enough. Make a goal for them to be excited about.
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Tell Them What You Could Gain
One of the best parts of your teen learning to drive is that it takes some burden off your shoulders. You no longer have to drive them everywhere. They can help out with errands like grocery shopping or taking their little brother to their baseball game. Let them know that them learning how to drive not only opens up opportunities for them, it helps out with the household. Not to mention, it saves you from having to take a trip every day to get them to where they need to go. It’s a win-win situation.
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Don’t Chauffeur Them
If all else fails, tough love goes a long way. One of the best ways to get them motivated to get their license is to take away their personal taxi service — you. If it’s not an important destination, such as school or work, don’t take them. One of the reasons we were so excited to get our licenses when we were growing up is because it meant we could visit our friends and go where we wanted to. If they can do neither, getting their license suddenly become more attractive.
No matter how you go about motivating your teenager to learn how to drive, remember that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Listen to the reasons they have for not driving and address them. Motivating a teen to do anything can be one of the greatest challenges of parenting, so we wish you the best of luck.
Image via Flickr by State Farm | CC BY 2.0.
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