Lachlan and his latest possession! March 2009
Another view of his new car!
Humans are funny - you can't wait for you kids to grow up and be independent and when they start to actually do it it is a lot harder than you think! Just like you can't wait for your kids to walk or talk and then when they do you wish they hadn't done it so soon as you are either running after them to keep them safe or answering their endless questions
6 months ago Lachlan had had his learners permit of about 16 months and hadn't really done anything about getting his licence. Half the time we felt he should get of his butt, stop being lazy and do something about it, the other half the time we felt at least we know where he is and don't have to worry about him hooning around town. With Lachlan to, we always knew once he was motivated to do something he would do it, till then there probably wasn't much point nagging.
So come the Christmas holidays he started having driving lessons, before we knew it he had his licence by mid February - motivating factor - learners permit expired in April and he would have to pay for a new one and sit another test! We thought that was pretty good, another of life's milestones ticked off. So you sit back and think, well done, we have helped our son- but just when you are feeling smug and comfortable he asks one Saturday - "What are you doing today mum?" You think to yourself - "how nice, finally he is making conversation rather than the usually grunting". That thought only lasts a second till you realise there is an ulterior motive- "Can I borrow the car?"
"What do you need to borrow that for, just because you have your licence now, does not mean you have to drive does it?" Stupid question!
So the negotiation commences, times worked out for being home, cost of borrowing the car, and the final reminder as he walks out the door with car keys of how much excess he will need to pay if he has an accident.
Can't sleep till he gets home - now it is waiting up till they get home, instead of getting up to them in the middle of the night!
We survive that hurdle, things seem to have quietened down, until he wants to show me something on the Internet! It turns out for months now he has been watching cars on all classifieds and one that he has been watching for a while now has been re listed at a lower price.
"What do you think of this one?"
"No idea - go ask Gordon, the mechanic next door"
He does, and unfortunately Gordon reckons Hyundai's are a good little car - pity he didn't think of the them the same way as he does Kia's.
Before you know it he has rung up, organised his father to go over with him, seen it, talked to Gordon again, negotiated a price and bought a 1992 Hyundai S Coupe - a car almost as old as him and with the best sound system in the family.
So now he doesn't have to borrow the car any more and we have a third car in the driveway.
At least 80% of the time we should know where he is, either in front of his computer or working in a part time job to pay for the cost of running a car!
Humans are funny - you can't wait for you kids to grow up and be independent and when they start to actually do it it is a lot harder than you think! Just like you can't wait for your kids to walk or talk and then when they do you wish they hadn't done it so soon as you are either running after them to keep them safe or answering their endless questions
6 months ago Lachlan had had his learners permit of about 16 months and hadn't really done anything about getting his licence. Half the time we felt he should get of his butt, stop being lazy and do something about it, the other half the time we felt at least we know where he is and don't have to worry about him hooning around town. With Lachlan to, we always knew once he was motivated to do something he would do it, till then there probably wasn't much point nagging.
So come the Christmas holidays he started having driving lessons, before we knew it he had his licence by mid February - motivating factor - learners permit expired in April and he would have to pay for a new one and sit another test! We thought that was pretty good, another of life's milestones ticked off. So you sit back and think, well done, we have helped our son- but just when you are feeling smug and comfortable he asks one Saturday - "What are you doing today mum?" You think to yourself - "how nice, finally he is making conversation rather than the usually grunting". That thought only lasts a second till you realise there is an ulterior motive- "Can I borrow the car?"
"What do you need to borrow that for, just because you have your licence now, does not mean you have to drive does it?" Stupid question!
So the negotiation commences, times worked out for being home, cost of borrowing the car, and the final reminder as he walks out the door with car keys of how much excess he will need to pay if he has an accident.
Can't sleep till he gets home - now it is waiting up till they get home, instead of getting up to them in the middle of the night!
We survive that hurdle, things seem to have quietened down, until he wants to show me something on the Internet! It turns out for months now he has been watching cars on all classifieds and one that he has been watching for a while now has been re listed at a lower price.
"What do you think of this one?"
"No idea - go ask Gordon, the mechanic next door"
He does, and unfortunately Gordon reckons Hyundai's are a good little car - pity he didn't think of the them the same way as he does Kia's.
Before you know it he has rung up, organised his father to go over with him, seen it, talked to Gordon again, negotiated a price and bought a 1992 Hyundai S Coupe - a car almost as old as him and with the best sound system in the family.
So now he doesn't have to borrow the car any more and we have a third car in the driveway.
At least 80% of the time we should know where he is, either in front of his computer or working in a part time job to pay for the cost of running a car!
