That's Not Fair

We all know that life can be unfair sometimes, but explaining this to a child can be difficult. After all, we want to protect our children and their innocence as long as possible but letting them know that they can't always expect things to go their way, or win every game, is a part of growing up.

I took my son to Legoland a while back with a neighbor of mine. Her son is a year older and so, when we reached the Volvo driving school, we froze as the lines separated the kids into different age groups. One line was for those 5 and under, the second line was for kids 6 and up. This was going to be difficult to explain, or I thought.

My son and I stood in line with the 5 and under crowd while our friends went and stood in the line with the older kids, a line which was much longer than ours. By the time my guy was finished driving, we found them, still in line along the other track. My son was convinced that he was going to drive over there too and, while I thought about explaining to him, one again, that he wasn't old enough, I figured I'd just wait and see what happened when we reached the front.

When it was "our" turn to go in, the Legoland employee made sure to ask each child their age. My son, who up until that moment was excited about driving again, looked her dead in the eye and said, "Five and a half."

At this tender age that precious half is so important that it didn't even occur to my son to lie about such a thing. She looked at me (as if I were the one trying to cheat) and let us know that he wasn't able to drive on that track. She directed us to the other side (like we didn't know about it already) as my son took it all in stride. No crying, no temper tantrums, no complaining. And me? I was so proud of him for handling it so well. If only us adults were so calm - and honest - under similar circumstances.

Backseat Driver

It'll be a few years until I need to worry about my son being out there on the road, driving, but he'll have a hard time being patient waiting for that day to come, I have a feeling.

Just the other day, as I was sitting behind four or five cars at a red light, he calls from the back seat, "Mom, you're not driving the right way." I looked up to make sure I was on the correct side of the road (just recently he and I were driving on the incorrect side of the road - but that's another story).

As the light turned green, I started to move forward behind the other cars. I was still trying to figure out what he had been referring to, when a second later he yells, "Both of your hands need to be on the steering wheel."

I took a quick glance back at him and smiled. "You're right, Dominic," I said, "I was driving wrong way."

Instead of telling me it was OK - as he's said before when I have admitted to doing something wrong, he says to me, in a very matter-of-fact voice, "I'll show you how to drive."

I will be a nervous wreck once he actually does get behind the wheel for the first time. Although by then, there will hopefully be some new technology that will allow me to have a GPS tracking system on the car so that I can make sure he hasn't been run off the road or fallen asleep at the wheel - or worse - lying about where he is.

Thinking back to my own years and the first years of freedom, it was much different then. My mom was excited to learn that I purchased a pager for myself. (Note to self: Must check to see if people - besides doctors - still use them.)

My mom would page me when I was out too late or past my curfew or didn't come home the night before. I can't say that having a pager made her life any easier. I would either ignore the page and not call her, or call her back and casually explain why I just had to spend the night at my boyfriend's house - again.

Being young and having freedom is exciting. It's just as exciting - if not anxiety-inducing - for parents.

That's why, when I heard about this new system, I wanted to know more. Will this be something that is going to be even more technologically advanced when the time comes for me to really have a use for it?

I don't usually think that far ahead, but when it comes to the safety of our children, what a parent wouldn't do...

What do you think? Is this GPS Tracking System too invasive? Do your teenagers have the right to total independence when they get their license to drive?