People say having a baby is not easy, the labor, the sleepless nights, teething, and more. Then when they begin to crawl and move around you have to baby proof your entire home. Terrible two’s set in and NO becomes their favorite word. Then there is the whole issue of potting training. You check out every daycare center to find the best and with it comes a hefty price tag. Eventually they start school and sports and activities set in from baseball, soccer, to gymnastics and twirling. You work through the pains of starting school, the tween years and than the teens. All along the way you bandage scrapes, mend broken hearts, and spend the wee hours of the night finishing that project they waited until the last minute to do.
You think, ok one day they are going to graduate, they are going to be their own person, take care of themselves, your job will be done and you can relax a little right?
They Graduate
But then your realize it has only just begun! When they are young you worry about your own sleep, are they eating right, are they safe, will they have friends, are they happy. Things that you still have some control over. Then they grow up and they do one of the of the scariest things in the world!
They Drive
My son was never interested in driving until he became a Senior. One one hand I was happy because that means I didn’t have to acknowledge the fact that I had a son old enough to drive. I didn’t have to stress about teaching him to drive, and I didn’t have to worry about the implications to my insurance. However on the other hand I think that driving and having a little freedom helps your child mature and become more responsible. They will learn that if they want to do things, drive places, and have that freedom they need a little thing called MONEY!
I thought purchasing a card was going to be the hard part. Hopefully we found a good deal, we purchased a 2002 Nissan Sentra that only has 35,600 miles. It was in great shape and my husband felt it was a good car. I was happy we were able to find what appears to be a reliable car at a decent price with no car payment.
I thought to myself what a great week for my son. I felt good we had done it. He has a driver’s license and a car. I felt good that is until I made that call to my insurance company. I knew that it was going to increase due to a teenage driver but I wasn’t ready for the truth of it. My insurance for my husband and I on our two 2014 cars was $780 every six months. I added my son’s car and added him as a driver and my insurance sky rocketed to $2,030 every six months. Buying the car was the easy part!
While I digest the information and look at where we can save in other areas to offset this increase in our bills all I can think about is my 15 year old son who is the opposite of his brother. He has downloaded the Florida Driver’s Handbook. Read it, taken a practice test, and wants to know when we can go to the DMV to get his permit.
I feel like I have entered a different stage of my life as a parent. I know worry every time my son leaves the house with the keys in his hand.
It is easier when they are younger!
