The Value of Sharing the Local Laws with your Teenagers
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Looking up your local laws and the consequences for violating them is eye-opening.
Your teens may be good kids or walk a bit on the wild side. Either way, they are at an age where they are starting to have more freedom, and that comes with more responsibility for their actions.
Maybe they drive to lunch, squeezing several friends into their car when the law states they can only drive one friend. They think it’s just a short ride and not that big of a deal. Understanding the law and the consequences of a ticket may help them realize the cost of a decision.
While this example is a milder legal issue, sharing what the law actually states keeps parents from lecturing and gives kids a concrete statement of the rules that apply to all citizens.
Legal definitions and laws are great tools for parents to use when mentoring kids as they become more independent.
What are a few laws to look into?
New driver laws for your state.
Crimes involving technology.
Fights, bullying, hazing.
Distracted driving.
Expired license plates for their car.
Speeding.
Underage drinking and drug laws and driving under the influence.
Local curfew restrictions.
Harassment, consent, and sex laws.
Property damage.
Theft.
Gun laws.
Other?
At what ages can kids be charged with a particular crime? As an adult? As A juvenile?
What are the punishments if convicted?
A quick search for state laws can give you some great talking points. The goal is not to take a deep dive into the law but rather highlight specifics that you think your kids should know. Also, many new laws have been added, and older ones have changed over the years. You may learn that what you thought was the law is different now.
Colorado Judicial Branch List of Laws is a great resource that lists laws and some general information about them. You can get some topic ideas here or find a site for your state or local area!
A great site for talking about consent that I found is here at the University of California, Riverside site. They also have other pages, such as this one, which discusses sexual assault. As your teen starts dating, there may be some valuable definitions and talking points from these pages!
Even a quick search goes a long way to defining boundaries for teens. These boundaries open a door for you to share your values with your kids and build a safe space for them to come to you if they have further questions or needs.
If all the children are old enough, discuss some of the laws at the dinner table or on a road trip. Scheduling a time to talk with kids is a great way to ensure important topics are not overlooked.
I encourage parents to jot down notes for these talks and share resources with their kids, which is a great way to add to your parenting plans! If you have not started your parenting plans yet, click on the book below, get a copy of Noteworthy Parenting, and Begin!
Here are other posts to check out for your parenting plans…
Tough Talks with Kids: Starting Points for Parents
Tips for Talking with Kids When Bad Things Happen in the News
