Soon parents will have a way to keep checks and balances on their teen drivers, according to this article in the Wall Street Journal. “Starting with select 2010 models to be introduced next year, Ford will include a programmable ignition key as a no-cost, standard option that restricts maximum speeds and offers additional safety alerts.” One of my favorite safety alerts is the annoying sound that forces the teen driver to buckle-up. And I like that the “device can also be configured to sound chimes at 45, 55 or 65 miles per hour depending on how much parents may want to warn -- or bother -- their children about excessive speed”. That sounds like fun, for parents anyway. The important thing is that it should work save our teens from mistakes in judgment when driving.

What do you think? Can I have a show of hands of parents who want to run out and buy this car now? What’s the downside for parents? Share your thoughts in our comments area.

Related Resources:

• How To Set the Limits on Driving
• Parenting Poll: Who should pay the added insurance?
• What are the statistics of fatal crashes involving teen drivers?
• Parenting Teens Contract on Teen Driving

Starting a conversation about not smoking really isn’t as hard as you may think. Your teen is expecting for you to say something – he/she knows that most parents do. That can take the edge off. Here is how to make these conversations as effective as possible, so your teen doesn’t ever start smoking.

More: Screening Quiz - Is Your Teen Smoking?

A worried mom wonders: My daughter is 13 yrs old.. She is a very outgoing, loving child. But constantly lies about everything. Simple things to very important matters. She is a child from a divorce parents. I divorced her father when she was 5. So, she is used to being passed back and forth and dealing with her parents arguments/discussions that pertain to her. Sometimes I think that she wants to lie about things to keep from her parents fighting about her. How can I stop this from getting worse?

Denise's thoughts: When you know your teen is lying to you , it is important to deal with the lying immediately. Too often, lying goes with another bad mistake in behavior and we discipline for the other behavior instead of the lying. Then lying starts to be a habit, which is something we want to avoid.

First, talk to your teen about why he/she is lying. Discuss how it makes you feel when you lose trust in him/her because of the lying. Then give a consequence. For an example, see this blog post on teen lying.

Let us know how it is going.

From our parenting community: Has your teen lied to you? What have you done to solve this problem? Share your thoughts and advice in the comments area or on the forum.

Guest writer, Martin Weil of MW Investment Strategy Group, has given us this resourceful guide to understanding 529 Plans. The hows, whys and what-fors are explained very simply - I even understood it ;-)

Related Resouces

• College Cost Calculator
• College Scholarships - Could You Be Scammed?
• College Scholarships for Teens