Teen Boys Cost 25 Percent More to Insure: What Can You Do?

As if the fact that the average teen driver’s insurance rate is roughly four times higher than the average adult rate isn’t bad enough, it turns out if you have a hoard of boys, you’re screwed. Even when all other factors are equal, adding a teen girl to your policy will raise your rate about 67 percent, while adding a teen boy will raise your rate a wallet-obliterating 92 percent! If your next thought is: whattttttt?!? This is ‘merica! How can they disteen driver car insurancediscriminate like that? (I know I did, sitting over here with my 3 boys.) You’ll be glad to know there is, like, a totally legit reason. Ready for this?

Because there is no law that says they can’t. It’s like the opposite of because I said so.

Back in 1964 we did sign into law a little thing called the civil rights act of 1964 that prohibits discrimination based on race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or nation origin in employment and public accommodations, but it doesn’t apply to car insurance. Why?

Car insurance doesn’t really fall into the category “public accommodations.”

To understand why car insurance companies can legally give parents of teen boys the shaft monetarily you have to look at why the civil rights act of 1964 was passed, and what it aimed to do. That is to end racial segregation and unfair employment practices in an effort to take the good ole U.S of A one step closer to equality. These public accommodations are defined as establishments that provide goods, services, or programs open to the public. Things like hotels, banks, grocery stores, and theaters. Car insurance is not explicitly named, nor is it an accommodation, so no equality for you.

Alright, so why don’t all these angry parents of redunkulously expensive-to-insure teens get all up in arms and get democratic on their asses—make them say so? They have. The problem is that the civil rights act of 1964 is a federally enforced law, and car insurance is regulated on a state level thanks to the McCarran-Ferguson Act of 1945. And, well, we all know how well it goes when the federal government tries to tell state’s how to regulate.

This means that the decision to ban gender or age-based pricing for car insurance is left to the state. In some states that has happened including Hawaii, North Carolina, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, and Pennsylvania. Only three of these (Hawaii, North Carolina, Massachusetts) also forbid the use of age in factoring rates. You would think the state count would be higher than that, but it turns out statistics trump discrimination.

The reason gender-based auto insurance pricing is allowed in so many states comes down to the data. Statistically, young drivers and males get in more accidents. This is the same reason car insurance companies can get away with changing rates based on zip code, credit score, marital status, education, and many more things that have jack to do with your ability to drive. The numbers support the insurance companies—even if those numbers ignore the fact that not all male drivers are aggressive and not all teen drivers drive recklessly.

Alright, now that we’ve established why your wallet hurts, what can you do about it? I mean, aside from starting an equal rights movement in your state (which you could consider, because 92 percent.)

Ways to lower the cost of insuring your teen:

-Cash in on good grades. Most of the big insurance companies today offer a good-grades discount for those under the age of 25, so if your teen is pulling in better than B’s, it’s worth asking your provider if they offer this one.

-Make them take a course. Driving courses can often qualify even adults for a rate discount, but eligible programs vary by company (some even offer their own course), so be sure to check the requirements for this discount if it’s offered.

-Plan that ride. The type of car you drive does affect your rate. For example, more expensive cars cost more to insure, so choosing a used and economical car for your teen is advised. The cheapest vehicles to insure are: mid-sized, lower in horse power, hard top, not considered “sport,” have anti-theft options, and get good safety ratings. Anti-theft often comes with an additional actual discount too. Contrary to popular belief, color plays no part in insurance calculations.

-Look for multi-policy discounts. Having one company handle multiple policy types can come with a discount, so even if you don’t own a home to insure, play around with the numbers. You may find adding something inexpensive like renter’s insurance saves you more than it costs you.

-Ask about driver tracking. Some companies have begun to use your actual driving habits to factor your rates. This involves a small device that monitors your driving for a short while to see how fast you brake, how often you speed, how far and how often you drive, when you drive, etc.  If certain benchmarks are met discounts as high as 30% can be your reward (just make sure your teen knows they’re being tracked).

Luckily, car insurance rates do decrease (male or female) with age and by 18 your pocket book will hurt far less than it did at 16, but in the meantime, hopefully our tips have helped.

The Sex Talk Timeline: When Should You Talk to Your Kids About Sex?

Times have changed. Imagining a short 50 years ago it was almost impossible to show a female belly button on TV is nearly impossible when you look at the sex-driven content today’s youth are exposed to on TV, in movies, in ads, on the internet, and literally everywhere else. Sex is indeed a primary motivator of our species, and once the market realized “sex sells” they pushed it at the people until we all became so numb to it that we don’t even notice anymore. How many of you would give second thought to a mild cut-away sex scene on TV or a half-naked billboard? Chances are very few of you would. However, there is someone who notices– your kids. Unfortunately, this change in times forces parents to reevaluate when the right time to start educating their kids about sex. If you start too late, well, it could be too late.sex talk for kids

So when is the right time for the sex talk?

Teaching your kids about sex really doesn’t come to one single “sex talk” like people seem to think. There shouldn’t be some coming of age point where you sit down and have one very long and awkward conversation with your child about sex. Rather, it should be a slow and gradual education over time that properly corresponds with your child’s mentality.

Toddlers:

At the toddler age you should start teaching your children about their bodies, their whole bodies. Even at such a young age children need to know what a penis and a vagina are and that they are private. You’ll find your kids naturally show curiosity in their nether regions and this can queue you into some anatomy lessons.

Pre-schoolers/Kindergarten:

Chances are you’ll have some boyfriend/girlfriend run-ins at this age, but they’ll be innocent; hand holding, hugging, maybe kissing. Be sure to talk to your child often, ask them about school and their friends so that when such things begin to develop you’ll know and can jump in with guidance. Talk about things like relationships, love, and kissing. Remember to keep your conversations appropriate for your child’s developmental level. It’s likely you’ll also have to deal with questions like, “Where do babies come from?” at this age. Answer any questions your child has truthfully. Avoid dodging the issue with silly stories. You don’t necessarily have to go into in-depth detail, but tell the truth.

Grade School:

Sometime during grade school or middle school your child will hit puberty. You can choose to address that when it happens, but it’s generally less shocking and confusing for your kid if they have some pre-warning and know what to do when it happens.

Middle School/High School:

This is when sex education in regards to things like protective, STDS, pregnancy, dating, etc. need to be talked about. Talking to you pre-teen or teen about sex won’t make them more likely to have sex, but it will prepare them if they end up doing so. As a parent, you can’t follow your children everywhere. They will be presented with sexual situations. How they handle those situation depends on your previous guidance. When exactly you should start talking about such things is really up to you. Pay attention to your teens actions, continue to ask about friends, school and social activities in a non-threatening way, and answer any questions that arise without judgment. It’s important your child feels comfortable talking to you about sex, if they feel they could get in trouble for something they say, they may not say anything at all.

Sex is undeniably a part of human life. Teaching your kids about this aspect of living may be a bit uncomfortable for some, but going the distance and sticking with it makes you a better parent in the end.

When did you have the sex talk with your kids?

You may also find helpful:
Toddler Sexuality: Gender Realization, Fascination and Playing Doctor
Preventing Teen Sex: a Parent’s Plan

Signs of Puberty in Girls: How to Tell When Your Daughter is Becoming a Woman

Who knows why we do it, but parents often put off the hard talks with their kids as long as possible. Puberty is definitely one of those talks. When it comes to girls in particular though, puberty can be a messy and embarrassing experience if you hit it unprepared. Well, sort of, actually a girl hits puberty before actually getting her menstrual period, which is the part that can be messy and embarrassing. Lucky for you, puberty also gives you some great signs of puberty in girls that your daughter may begin getting a monthly gift soon so you can start leaving sanitary items in the bathroom for her, and have a talk at some point about body changes, sex, and anything else she’s curious about.

What are some signs of puberty in girls?

signs of puberty in girls

-New hair growth: The hormones associated with puberty can cause hair growth everywhere, not just the private region that no one but your child will notice. You may notice more armpit or leg hair if your daughter is hitting puberty.

-Breast development and weight gain: While many girls begin to develop breasts well before they actually begin menstruating, it is a sign that the hormones associated with puberty are present and taking effect. Breast changes in particular can cause some dramatic body image issues in young girls, so you may want to address this before puberty. On top of breast changes, which are just fat after all, your daughter may also begin to gain weight or change shape in the hip region during puberty.

-A major growth spurt. Your daughter won’t just gain weight at puberty; she’ll also likely experience a boost in height. Typically girls hit puberty around age 10 to 12, so if you notice a major jump in height around that age your daughter may be hitting puberty.

-Dramatic mood swings. That mood swings come with hormonal imbalance is not a little known fact. PMS is famous for mood changes for this very reason. Being that puberty is an extended state of hormonal havoc, your daughter will experience some drastic mood swings as puberty onsets.

The above should help you take a rather educated guess at when a puberty talk is needed, or you can opt to just provide your daughter access to what she needs in case of an emergency period moment and wait until she asks questions of you. It’s really up to your comfort level and relationship with your child; puberty doesn’t care how you handle it. It’s not taking a rain check either way.