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Toyota Teen Driving Safety Clinic #TeenDrive365

September 17, 2014 by

Teen Driving Safety Clinic with Toyota #TeenDrive365 #distracteddrivingHaving one of my children of legal driving age scares the crap out of me. Everytime she gets in the car I worry. I know she’s cautious and has hopefully been following our rules for the last 2 years but that doesn’t lessen the anxiety I have that one day she’s gonna call to say there’s been an accident. Signing up for the Toyota Teen Driving Clinic this weekend will help ease my mind and give Sabreena some new perspective into safe and defensive driving.Teen Driving Safety Clinic with Toyota #TeenDrive365 #distracteddriving

The Toyota Teen Driving Safety Clinic is open to teens and their parents at participating Toyota dealerships in the New Jersey and New York areas. Teens and their families will learn about vehicle dynamics and safety features, defensive driving, distracted driving and the importance of vehicle maintenance. This non-driving program offers parents and teens an opportunity to learn safe driving tips by professional instructors in a non-sales environment. Find a location near you to register.

The FREE 2.5 hour clinic will cover basic car maintenance, safety features, avoiding driving distractions and other topics that drivers encounter each day.

I have very high expectations for Sabreena during this experience. She’s not a new driver but still a young driver. I believe any help and education she can take in can only be a good thing. Kids are given driver’s licenses to easily these days, without much training or real world experience. Distracted driving accounted for  an estimated 421,000 injured individuals in motor vehicle crashes in 2012 (Distraction.gov). I don’t want Sabreena or another family to be part of those statistics.Teen Driving Safety Clinic woth Toyota #TeenDrive365 #distracteddriving

I want to be a part of creating the next generation of drivers. Drivers that are aware of the world around them not just what’s happening in the car. I took the pledge to be a better example behind the wheel. I pledge to be a better driver by being a safer driver. My families safety is priority number one.

Source

http://www.distraction.gov/content/get-the-facts/facts-and-statistics.html

 




Are Dad’s Able?

March 22, 2012 by

Sabreena has a school trip next weekend to Dover, Delaware for government that requires her to have some business casual clothes which she doesn’t.  For the last few weeks Melinda has been taking Sabreena to different stores looking for dress pants and other items but has  been coming up empty and we are now running out of time.

Since the trip is almost here and Melinda is going to be busy this Saturday watching her best friends children for the afternoon and I have ZERO plans I offered to take Sabreena clothes shopping.  Sabreena is 16 and a female and I am her dad and I offered to take her shopping.  HAHA, I am in big trouble because I don’t think Melinda trusts me to buy clothes that match or make fashion sense.  I feel shorts and a t-shirt are fashion appropriate for any trip to Dover, Delaware, kidding.

I am somewhat capable of picking clothes for the kids.  Just this week I got Shaun and Shae summer clothers online from Old Navy and Children’s Place.  Granted they are 4 and 8 years old but is the process really that different for a 16 year old?  I think HELL YEAH!!!!!

I used to always pick clothes for Sabreena but that probably was only until she hit the age of 10 or 12 then Melinda assumed full control of her clothing purchases.  I have actually taken Sabreena clothes shopping once about a year ago for sweaters and to honest it was pretty painless.  I do know that she is super SLOW in the dressing room and there is going to be a lot of trying on clothes this Saturday but as long as my iPhone is fully charged I should be just fine, I hope!

Please pray for me that I pick the right items so that Melinda doesn’t hurt me, LOL.

If you are a man do you shop for your daughter/daughter’s?  If you are a women do you let/trust your husband to shop for your daughter/daughter’s?










I Disclose




American Express Teaches Safe Spending

September 20, 2011 by

I can remember when I was around fifteen or sixteen having a regular after school and summer job. For my age I felt like I made pretty decent money but I spent just about everything I made. I wasn’t a really big saver and was really never taught the fundamentals of saving for a rainy day. I can remember a few of my friends saving a lot of what they earned from working and eventually bought a nice car with cash and extras that their parents wouldn’t buy them.

Now that I have a fifteen soon to be sixteen year old I am starting to think about getting her a checking/savings account that will come with a debit card so she can begin to learn financial responsibility and practice safe spending. I want Sabreena to learn how to budget her money for things that she wants but at the same time I want her to save a few bucks for that rainy day.

Last year when Sabreena was a freshman in high school she took an accounting/business class which I suggested she do so that she could get acquainted with accounting and business practices. Not entirely sure this class with help her be more financial responsible but at least she has been exposed to an accounting class which in my opinion can only help her in the future.

I feel as parents we talk to our kids about drinking, drugs and sex but nothing when it comes to money. We need to teach our kids to be responsible with their money and hope that the few things we do teach our children will stick. As parents all we can do is guide and provide the information necessary for our kids to be successful.

If you have kids have you spoke to them about being financial responsible? Do they have their own bank account?

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of American Express and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.










I Disclose




Inappropriate influences

August 9, 2011 by

I feel like I am influenced by everything around me. Things like television and music probably affect me the most. However it seems like it’s just influencing me to hate them. I can’t stand 95% of the music on the radio and I feel a special kind of hatred towards artists like Katy Perry and K-E-$-HA. It seems like their music is just really inappropriate for my siblings to be listening to. Kesha is constantly singing about drinking and doing drugs and my sister will walk around singing her songs without knowing what she is really saying. It’s really creepy.

gross kesha

And then there’s the TV. Stuff like Jersey Shore and Teen Mom is absolutely ridiculous. They just make it look cool for people to act like idiots or to get pregnant at 16. You have no idea how many Baby Snookies I see at school now. I don’t understand why this is seen as entertainment because it’s just stupid. It’s very inappropriate to pay these people so other people can watch them be morons. There are plenty of other TV shows on that are actually interesting for the people where the actors deserve to be paid for their work.

I Disclose

 




Summer Road Trip Ideas

July 25, 2011 by

Summer is almost over but there is still time to get on the road and take that much needed road trip. If you are traveling the roads with children try to remember the essentials that may make your trip much easier:

  • Snacks and drinks are a must have for any kind of road trip. Packing your own snacks and drinks allows you to save some money as well as time because you limit the amount of times you need to stop for food.
  • Entertainment of some form. In our van we have a built in DVD player but we also have the kids bring additional items such as gaming systems like the Nintendo DS and their iPod for music.
  •  Blankets and pillows. If your kids are like mine after about ten minutes in the car they are cold from the air conditioning or tired from the drive so having these items will allow your kids to be comfortable making the drive and trip much more manageable.

In addition to the items above for the kids it is important that you have some kind of protection while on the road in case of a break down and the Allstate Good Hands Roadside Assistance is just what the doctor ordered.

Register for the Allstate Good Hands Roadside Assistance on Look What Mom Found…and Dad too!

Here are a few things to know about the service:

  • You do not need to have Allstate insurance to use this service
  • You only pay when you use it, there are no monthly fees
  • Anyone can call at any time and use this service when needed by calling a 1-800 # and asking for roadside assistance

You can have a total of 5 drivers on your account, and also enter your credit card information if you wish. So if you enter your children’s information and they run into an issue on the road, they are set up so that all they need to do is call the number and it will be charged to you, and only for that use.

Remember safety while on the rode and being protected from an unforseen breakdown are extremely important so be sure to keep yourself protect with Allstate.

I was compensated to be an Good Hands Roadside Assistance member but the opinions in this post are my own.









Internet or Television

July 10, 2011 by

My friends and I were talking earlier this week about whether we would rather give up television or the internet and almost all of us chose to give up TV. It could just be my generation but I use the internet for entertainment far more often than television. The internet is the place where I get all of my news and where I can talk to all my friends, new or old. I watch content on YouTube and read articles on Yahoo. I look at old pictures on Facebook and play games on Lumosity. And I look at blogs just like my parents do (though they are not the same kinds of blogs.) I use the internet the way it should be used, to find interesting and entertaining websites and new and original content that I can tell my friends about and obsess over.
However I don’t believe the internet could ever replace television. Even if the internet could provide every show that is offered on television for the same price as television, people would not be willing to give up there giant flat screen TVs for tiny computer screens. Also television is quickly improving and become higher quality (not necessarily in what kinds of shows we are viewing but in the visual look of the shows.) People are spending more money on their televisions and the packages they purchase to get more channels. TV is a pastime that families can do together and the internet can never replace that.

If you have to choose would you give up television or the internet?










Allstate’s Good Hands Roadside Assistance Program

June 27, 2011 by

Sabreena will be 16 very shortly which means she will be getting her driving permit and then license. I worry about everything under the sun when it comes to her driving, like distractions, other drivers and her breaking down on the side of the road with no assistance.

Thankfully I will no longer need to worry about one of those with the introduction of Allstate’s Good Hands Roadside Assistance program, a new service offering pay as you go roadside assistance.

Here are a few things to know about the service:

  • You do not need to have Allstate insurance to use this service
  • You only pay when you use it, there are no monthly fees
  • Anyone can call at any time and use this service when needed by calling a 1-800 # and asking for roadside assistance

You also do not need to sign up beforehand, but there is a significant benefit in doing so. You can register for up to 5 users on your account, and also enter your credit card information if you wish. So if you enter your children’s information and they run into an issue on the road, they are set up so that all they need to do is call the number and it will be charged to you, and only for that use.

To me as a parent there is a lot of value in this service because now I only need to pay when I have a problem where with other services there are yearly fees involved as well as the repair costs.  To me this is a great money saving program which is great for me and my family.

It is very important to make sure your child is protected on the road in case of an emergency but it is also important that your child knows how important and how much of a responsibility it is to be behind the wheel of a vehicle.  Kids these days think driving is a right but in my opinion it is a privladge.  I know in my daughter’s school they take a drivers education class but for me that is not enough and I plan to sit her down and talk about the importance of safe driving and why it is so important and I feel ALL parents need to do this.  Today kids have so many distractions like the radio, friends in the car, text, phone calls which just adds to the dangers of driving.

Kids need to understand that traffic crashes are the number one killer of teens with nearly one-third of them alcohol-related and driving needs to be taken seriously.  At least with the Allstate Good Hands Roadside Assistance program I have one less worry as a parent of a soon to be new driver.

If you have a child that is about to start driving soon are you talking to them about the important of safe driving?

I was compensated to be an Good Hands Roadside Assistance member but the opinions in this post are my own.










I May Be That Dad!

April 21, 2011 by

I don’t want to be that dad but I feel like I am in a way. You know that dad who freaks over everything his teenage daughter wears. I am even a little freaked about who she hangs with.

She is a super smart girl but I worry about boys. Boys are sneaky and have bad thoughts on their minds. I know not all boys but that it what I think when it comes to my smart, beautiful teenage daughter. From what I hear from her and Melinda she seems to run with a decent crowd but the dad in me can’t help but worry. I am just afraid she will get mixed up with the wrong person or situation by accident.

She came up last night asking could she wear a certain dress to school and I immediately said NO without even thinking. In my head I knew I shouldn’t have responded so fast but my first thought was what boys would think when they saw her. Just writing this post is giving me anxiety. I know she isn’t a baby anymore but she is my baby and I want to do everything I can to protect her.

Melinda tells me all of the time that I am over reacting and I know she is right but again I am just trying to protect Sabreena. I hope she knows that I am just trying to protect her because I don’t want her to pull away from me because she thinks I am a crazy dad.

Am I being crazy?








I Disclose




The Time Is Almost Here

March 9, 2011 by

Driving is expensive to begin with these days considering the price of gas, maintenance, etc so needless to say I’m not looking forward to the day when Sabreena gets her drivers license which is right around the corner.

Getting a car insurance quote has to be a parents biggest fear when their teen obtains there drivers license. I know right now Melinda and I pay a fortune for car insurance as I am sure a lot of American families do. I can remember not getting my drivers license until I was close to eighteen and I am not sure what my parents reasoning was behind this considering I already had a car that was given to me by my aunt. Maybe they weren’t enthused with getting a car insurance quote for their eighteen year old son. I am sure as soon as they added me to their insurance the rate doubled. I understand new drivers are a higher risk and more of a liability but are they a rate doubling risk/liability?

The good news here is that we have a few things in our favor. Sabreena is a girl and a straight A student so I am hoping that when we go to add her to our car insurance they will take those factors into consideration and have pity on us.









I Disclose




Get $25 from PASS from American Express

February 26, 2011 by

She’s spending more time with friends shopping, eating, hanging out on Main Street. She’s got her phone, her iPod and now her own PASS Card from American ExpressSM. All she needs is her license and car and she won’t need Mommy and Daddy anymore; that is until she runs out of money on her PASS Card.

The PASS Card is PREPAID reloadable “credit” card. It’s safer than cash, convenient to monitor, easy to add funds and risk-free of overdraft. The program is geared to teens and young adults as a way to teach financial responsibility. We can send our kids to the mall or movies with a little peace of mind that they will only spend a certain dollar amount. This can teach them how to balance shopping for the things they need versus they things they want, shopping on price rather than just fashion and how to track how much money is spent on things like their half caf grande soy vanilla chai skinny latte no foam habit.

What I like best about this program is the no-chance-of-losing-the-money-I-just-handed-you concept. Sabreena is a great student, super sweet, responsible, caring and smart. That being said she’s sometimes a bit scatter-brained. This lets me hand her the card and know it’s safe if she drops it, leaves it in another pair jeans or worse, leaves it at a store. If the PASS is lost or stolen the cardholder isn’t responsible for fraudulent charges AND AMEX will replace the funds.

Find out for yourself the convenience and ease of the PASS card by signing up for yourself. If you do before April 25th you’ll receive and an additional FREE $25 by using code SS25 when you order a $25 card. Start your kids off on the right financial foot. Start talking budgets, limits and responsibility with them today so they make smart decisions in the future.

This is a sponsored post courtesy of SheSpeaks but the opinions and descriptions presented belong solely to LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! Your experiences and reactions may differ from ours.




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