Moral support needed, daughter keeps running out of gas -lol

[Mrs Mungo]

Can you take her to an OT? Is there a counselor who could explain that she needs to take her meds *or* learn coping mechanisms? A budget, a schedule, not letting her can get under 1/4 tank, those are the things she must be doing. If you can't tell her, don't. Print out posts from people in this thread. I was never on medication, therefore I learned to do those things in high school and college. She is having to learn it all the hard way, now. But, you don't have to learn everything the hard way. You can listen to people who have BTDT. Some life lessons are too hard to recover from to try them all yourself. :grouphug:

[JFSinIL]

You are doing the right thing in NOT buying her gas or coming to get her. Stand firm. This sounds like one bird having trouble flying independently, but she will never grow up if she does not HAVE too.

 

Tell her to save up and buy a AAA membership if she wants to be able to call someone to come rescue her when she runs out of gas.

[Mrs Mungo]

Tell her to save up and buy a AAA membership if she wants to be able to call someone to come rescue her when she runs out of gas.

 

Our insurance will pay a couple of times per year. Maybe she should think about different car insurance instead of paying for AAA?

[Blueridge]

You sound like an amazingly patient person. :) Have you tried this phrase: "I really don't know...what do YOU think?". I learned this from Jessica Hulcy (of KONOS) whose favorite advice for parents was for them to use a *gag and handcuffs* on themselves with their kids, so the kids would learn to think through things themselves instead of always turning to mom or dad for help. One way to really learn survival skills is to be put into situations where there is nobody to offer suggestions/help/advice, so you have to think the problem through yourself. Perhaps you have been helping too much (with the kindest of intentions). Thinking skills are hard to instill, but last a lifetime once attained. Just a thought.

[JFSinIL]

Our insurance will pay a couple of times per year. Maybe she should think about different car insurance instead of paying for AAA?

 

Depends on the cost. I think our AAA is either $60 or $75 a year for membership. We get lots of maps, travel books, discounts...and at least once a year need a car unlocked:glare: or the car towed for some reason so it does pay for itself above and beyond the sheer piece of mind of knowing we HAVE it if we need it.

 

Once the van broke down 3 hours from anywhere and AAA sent a guy to tow it into Norfolk, VA...and called ahead to tell the place (which closed at noon Saturdays) to wait until hubby got there with the tow truck so he could get a loaner van and come back to rescue the rest of us from the truckstop we had coasted into. Then AAA helped us rearrange motels for the rest of our roadtrip, has we had to wait until Monday for the van to be fixed enough for us to drive home.

 

AAA is wonderful.

[2cents]

The thing that worries me about her habitually running out of gas is the danger she is putting herself in. I think you might try a new tack here and take her to a self-defense for women class where they will explain the dangers of how being negligent can put a person in danger. There are demented people out there who will target stranded motorists or women walking alone (especially if it looks like they ran out of gas or had car problems).

 

IMO more than the lack of responsibility that her behavior shows is the fear that she could be leaving herself open to real danger. She needs a stern wake-up call. Maybe from someone who has been there. Perhaps arrange a meeting with a law enforcement person who has seen these dangers. :grouphug: