It’s currently the middle of August, which means Back to School season is upon us. Do you have a high school student or college student who will be navigating the role of driving to school? I have one of each and let me tell you, it can do a number on your nerves.
So why not help yourself (and your teen) feel better? The following is a list of 6 basic car essentials every teen driver should have in their car at all times. I kept this list short on purpose – to make it easy on you and because we all know you’ll lose your teen’s attention if you try to show them 20 different things.
**This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Let’s be honest, it would be very easy to just knock this task out by yourself. But, what good will it do your teen if they don’t know you’ve stashed these items in their car? Plus, a couple of these items might need a little bit of instruction.
I actually spent a morning doing this with my college Freshman and high school Senior at the beginning of summer break. It was a simple way to spend a little bit of time with them and we were doing something to calm my mama heart when they’re away from home. And whether they’ll admit it or not, if they find themselves in a situation where they need any of these car essentials, they will be so glad they have a parent who cares about preparedness.
Emergency water will come in handy in many situations, but if drinking water is what your teen needs, you want to make sure it’s able to withstand mother nature.
An old plastic water bottle that’s been sitting in a cup holder for a month just won’t cut it.
I really like Blue Can water (affiliate link) as an emergency car essential because it can withstand high temperatures. To read a little more about why I like it and how it compares to other water storage options, check out this blog post on long-term water storage options.
I just grabbed a soft sided cooler that I had laying around the house (it was just a freebie we’d been given from some business) and filled it with a few Blue Cans. I did this for each of my kid’s car trunks.
This one might seem pretty obvious, but you’d be surprised by how many people do not at least have jumper cables in their car. Whether your teen driver is the one needing help or giving help – at least one of those cars needs to have a roadside kit!
You don’t need a super fancy one, but make sure it includes jumper cables. I really like this one (affiliate link).
There’s really no excuse for any of us to not be hands-free with our mobile devices, but a phone mount should definitely be a car essential for inexperienced teen drivers. Nothing should be distracting them from keeping their eyes on the road, so make it easy for them to see the GPS.
And even though most teens probably aren’t leaving home without a charger, go ahead and double check their car. Make sure they have one that can actually be hooked up to the console in their model.
I’ve actually talked about this car essential (affiliate link) many times and there’s a reason for that. It has SO many safety features!
This is one of the items I recommend spending a few minutes showing your teen driver how to use the different features. You might even need to figure out how to use it yourself. You’ll want to make sure this car essential is stored somewhere your teen will be able to reach it from the driver’s seat – a seatbelt cutter isn’t going to do them any good in the trunk!
Does your teen driver know how to change a tire? Do they know how to properly use jumper cables to jump a car? How about what to do if they’re in a car accident?
Chances are, one or two of these things were briefly discussed in driver’s ed and maybe you had a conversation with them before their first solo drive. But one conversation or one lesson is certainly not enough.
That’s why I created these Car Emergency Printables. Simply print them out, stash them in the glove compartment (don’t forget the pen to write with!) and remind your teen to take them out and follow the step-by-step instructions.
I spent a LOT of hours making sure these instructions were thorough and concise. I pictured my teenage daughter out on the side of the road, and made sure I was confident that she would be able to follow these instructions on her own if needed. I even had a mechanic QC them!
This could come in handy even in non-emergency situations. My friend recently sent her teenage son off on his first solo, multi-state roadtrip. Can you guess what he came across? Toll booths – that were CASH ONLY!
Or what if your college student is trying to evacuate from a natural disaster and the power is out? Their debit card won’t do much good in that situation.
Just make sure that cash is out of sight and not in an obvious location (like the middle console or glove compartment).
I’m putting this as a bonus car essential because it’s not necessarily legal everywhere. So be sure to check your local laws before giving a spray can to your teen. And if it’s not legal where you live, a noise maker would be a good substitution.
Again, make sure your teen knows how to use mace appropriately before stashing it in their car or on their keychain.
I cannot tell you how worth it this is.
6 things.
You can do this.
All of these items are available online (except for the emergency cash).
Order them now. Don’t wait. And then once you have them all, take your teen out to their car and find places for all of them.
It is 100% worth it!
You got this, mama!
Emergency Preparedness, but make it fun! This list of apocalyptic movies will give you plenty of learn by example opportunities on the importance of preparedness
Whether it’s a personal, local, national or worldwide disaster, there are apps for emergency situations. Use this list as a guide to help you through any emergency.
If you want self-sufficient kids, there are so many important life skills they need to know. Keeping track of important information is part of launching your teen into adulthood.
