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Teens

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Teens and car insurance: Who should pay?

I feel teens should pay for their insurance. Though some insurance companies tend to charge for permit drivers I think this is wrong. Teens with learner's permit are drivers in training and therefore parents should not be force to have them insured. They should be covered under the insurance of the driver training them. If they are not a conscientious driver, then they should not have a driver's license. My nineteen year old daughter, though on our insurance, pays for her portion and she works. Before then she was not allowed to be a licensed driver. My twenty-one year old son, who is not so dependable, is struggling and is forced to get his own coverage.

First of all, I feel that this allows the teen an opportunity to learn responsibility. They will be more appreciative of this privilege. They learn early in life how hard it is for struggling parents to prepare them for the world. My daughter appreciates her new found responsibility and budgets her money wisely. We helped her to buy a nice, dependable used car for twelve hundred dollars. She has a career as a licensed beautician and goes to college full-time, but has plans to start going part-time.

Secondly, many parents just cannot afford the high cost of insurance. Young ones that are reliable enough to work should carry their own. My daughter carries her own burdens. She also helps with the cost of her siblings still in high school. This is a huge load off us. It is not necessary, but she insists. She says when she help, she see her blessing. She does not believe in handouts. And refuse help she feels will hinder her goal of being independent from others. She does accept help when she needs it. Why struggle excessively, unnecessarily?

Finally, the scene of this world is changing and teens are more and more independent than when we were. They have a mind of their own and some can make decisive responsible decisions. Our purpose should be not to stifle their growth and progress, but to be there for them as their coach and guide them when they need us. We are preparing them for the future. The lessons they learn now will be there for them to fall back on.

So allowing teens to pay for their car insurance can be a good thing for dependable adolescences. Those not so reliable should learn from life's experiences because they won't listen any way. We can make ourselves available with advice when they ask for it. At this point in their lives they are mold able for success and we should treat each child according to the knowledge we gained upon raising them.

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