Welcome to "Hey Mom and Dad"—a weekly feature in which we ask our Facebook fans to share their views on parenting. Every week, we get the conversation started by taking a look back at a question we asked parents the week before on Patch Facebook pages from around the area.
Is there anything more harrowing than the day when you first hand over the keys to your brand-new teen driver, the same one who it seems like just yesterday was still biking with training wheels? It's not uncommon for parents to set some restrictions on their newly-minted leadfoots, so we took to our Facebook pages to find out what the laws on this are in some west-suburban households. Which brings us to this week's question:
What new rules do you have for your new teen drivers, and how do you enforce them?
Take a look at what people had to say and join the conversation in the comments section.
Lori Galandak-Anthony: "I am the LAW! Lol"— Hinsdale Clarendon-Hills Patch Facebook
Jeanne Nessinger Zabel: "No B's, No keys....."— Lisle Patch Facebook
Jim McMahon: "No cell phones on unless parked."— Wheaton Patch Facebook
Karen Sherman Bushy: "NO drinking and driving - not just drunk driving - NO drinking, and if they got caught (by the police or me!) they would lose the car for ONE FULL YEAR - and NO excuse would be acceptable.....NONE! I also did not 'harp' at them for it - I made sure they CLEARLY understood that the next time they would hear about it would be when I was relieving them of the keys for the FULL YEAR. It was never a problem."— Downers Grove Patch Facebook
Laura Temple: "Obey the graduated license laws (well ALL the laws) but those regarding curfew and number of kids allowed in the car while you are a new driver." — Downers Grove Patch Facebook
Hank Beckman: "I remember the first time I took my mom's car as a new driver. As I left the house, she said, 'oh, I don't like this.'" — Wheaton Patch Facebook
Darrell Hooper: "Remember to stay away from the Illinois state Troopers. They might run you off the road for the hell of it then make up some stupid story about a medical emergency."— Wheaton Patch Facebook
David A. Miller Sr.: "Kids don't need to drive.... They have everything they need within walking distance." — Elmhurst Patch Facebook
So what's your take? Tell us in the comments.