The world of personal transportation is changing. In the old days, everybody wanted their own car. American made vehicles were all the rage, and were a status symbol that everybody could pretty much understand. But today, things are starting to change. There is still a great place for the car, but it’s just one of several transportation tools that people need to understand and become fluent with. This is especially true for kids, your kids in particular. Just like your dad taught you how to change your own oil and check your fluids before taking you to college, you’ve got to have a heart to heart with your progeny about how to get from place to place.
Cars
Cars are still a big part of our lives, but not in the same way they used to be. Sure, you might own a car or five. If this is true for your kids, they need to understand how to find affordable car insurance, how to perform routine maintenance, and how to drive safely. They should also know how to rent a vehicle through a regional car share program, how to rent a car, how to lease a car, or how to hire a quick ride using an app on their phone. All of these transportation options might not apply to your child, but the ones that do should be reinforced by you before they go out into the world on their own.
Bikes
Bikes are great. Affordable and practical, they’re a healthy and cheap way to get around. Kids should start to develop an early relationship with their bicycles. By the time they get to adulthood, the bike should be a natural mode of transportation appropriate for many different applications. Get them started early, and help them how to drive safely. Teaching them to ride and maintain a bicycle could help them develop their own passion for two-wheeled personal transportation. Or it could simply give them a very practical option for getting around. However they use a bike, it’s a good thing to know how to do.
Public Transportation
Every kid should know how to catch a bus and get to the place they need to go. This is especially true if you live in a metropolitan area, but it’s also important for country kids. This is because you can’t always drive yourself or catch a ride with someone else. Buses, trains, taxis, trolleys, and all the other sustainable public transportation options that define our cities are a growing part of more people’s lives. Many cities are becoming denser, and they’re learning that public transportation options are simply much more practical than expecting every citizen to have their own cars.
Transportation is changing all the time. But even as it becomes more varied and automated, it’s still important for kids to know how to use it – to strategize the best route and interact with the technology safely and appropriately. If you teach them this, they’ll be able to go wherever they want to.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
