Waterloo Automotive

Celebrating the New Year is a great and fun way to celebrate everything in your life and starting over in a different year. If you are going to celebrate with friends this year, it is good to keep these tips in mind: Drinking If you are under 21, be careful about drinking. Do not put yourself in a position you are not comfortable with or in an unsafe environment. Be mindful of drunk people opening champagne bottles (whether they are alcoholic or not). Some people do not aim the cork away from people. It is all fun and games until someone gets hit in the eye. Unless you are with a close group of friends, make sure you pay attention to your drink at all times. Do not sit your drink down, walk away, and end up drinking it later. Hand it off to a friend if you need to use the bathroom. Driving Do not drink and drive. If you have had a couple drinks, have a sober friend drive you or get a cab. Cops will be out in fu ... read more

Less than a week after the tragedy that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut, it is still difficult to grasp the thought of dealing with such a difficult situation. We understand that there will always be questions that may never be answered: why it happened, what could have been done to prevent it from happening and how can we change to make sure this never happens again. It is okay to admit that you are having difficulties grasping the concept of why this unthinkable tragedy occurred. The good news is that are plenty of ways you can personally help yourself and other people in your life dealing with grief and sorrow. Here are some resources that can help you cope with this: Your parents – Your parents are your best resource when it comes to dealing with a tragedy. No, they might not have all the answers for how you should cope with this but they will be someone you can go to so that you can express your feelings about this. Your ... read more

The next month will present some difficult situations for teens as you will eventually end up a party. Whether it is for Christmas, New Year’s Eve or just a regular party, you will inevitably be in a situation where you are offered a drink (or two). As a teenager, you are given more freedom and with that freedom comes responsibility. You have a responsibility to yourself, your friends, your family and to anyone on the road. Responsibility to yourself – Whenever you take a sip of alcohol, you need to understand that you are now putting yourself at risk of being arrested. In Missouri, it is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to possess or consume alcohol. If you get behind the wheel of a car after even having any sort of alcohol in your system, you can be arrested for drinking and driving. Not to be taken less seriously, but a minor in possession is a misdemeanor in Missouri. Take responsibility for yourself by not putting yourself in a situation where you embarrass y ... read more

The holidays are an exciting time for everyone and part of that is the thought of getting your dream gift from your parents. The economy is tough right now which means the chance of you getting that dream gift from your parents slim to none. Here are some cost-effective alternative gift ideas to ask for instead of their more expensive counterparts: Laptop – While you may want a top of the line Apple Macbook, they are very pricey. Instead of asking for an Apple laptop, you might consider the Google Chromebook. At $249, it is an inexpensive alternative to the Macbook, which starts at $999. Tablet – If you don’t already have one, an iPad is sure to end up on everyone’s holiday wish list. However, the newest model of iPad starts at $499, which may be out of your parent’s price range. A cheaper alternative is the third-generation iPad which starts at $399 or the iPad ... read more

The next month and a half is supposed to be considered the most wonderful time of the year because of the holidays. But we all know that also means a lot of time with your family. For those of you college students coming home for Thanksgiving and winter break, you may have a big wake up call in regards to your personal space and your freedom. Here are some tips to help balance your expectations with your parents’ expectations. Prioritize – You will want to see your friends during the holidays but you also need to prioritize family time. If you go to a local college, prioritize seeing friends who may have moved out of state and are back for a short amount of time. If you went far away from home for college, consider getting a group of friends together so you get to see many people at once to limit the amount of time you are away from home.
Remember that your family will want to see you just as much, if not more, as your friends do. Your parents are u
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We just finished up with National Car Care Month in October but we are still looking to share ideas to keep your teens safe by simply maintaining your cars. Parents primarily focus on texting, distractions in the car, drinking and driving and using seat belts (and for good reason) but there are other dangers to your teens while they are out driving on their own. Teens are not educated enough about proper maintenance of their vehicles so we would like to share AutoMD.com’s top tips for teens (and parents) to keep their cars running well and staying safe on the road. Know your car’s maintenance intervals and keep up with service
Each vehicle has a maintenance schedule, outlined in your owner’s manual. Be sure you read and understand the schedule. Items that require regular maintenance include the car’s fluids, tires, brakes, and oil and filter changes, too. Oil and air filter changes are particularly important to keep the engine runnin
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Every year, teens across the country celebrate Halloween in one of two ways: innocent and fun or reckless and dangerous. Once they outgrow the desire to dress up like their favorite cartoon characters and go trick-or-treating, they often develop a spirit of adventure—one that can lead them into trouble if they’re not careful. That’s why, when it comes to making sure their teens stay safe on October 31, it’s important for parents to talk to their teens about all the evening will entail. The first and most important thing to do is to get the details. Know where your teen will be and when, who will be with them and how they can be reached. Other details including the presence of alcohol and method of transportation are also key. Parents, it’s your right and responsibility to establish rules for and with your teen in order to ensure their safety, so don’t be afraid to put your foot down if you feel uncomfortable with any situation. Remember, they’ll thank you for it later ... read more

Fresh information hit the news last month when Liberty Mutual Insurance and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) revealed the results of a survey regarding the amount of influence a parent’s driving habits has on the ones of their teenage drivers. According to the survey, which polled 1,700 teens from across the nation, adults are engaging in poor and risky driving habits while their teens are in the car and, in the process, doing more than just putting their families at risk. By engaging in behaviors such as texting, speeding and driving while intoxicated, parents are setting poor examples for their teenage drivers and causing them to follow suit by repeating the actions in nearly equal amounts. Not surprisingly, the most common destructive driving behavior modeled by parents was talking on a cell phone while driving. The second-most repeated offense was speeding, followed by texting, driving without a seatbelt, driving while intoxicated and, finally, drivin ... read more

Here in the St. Louis area, fall is in full swing. The leaves are changing colors, the Rams are back in action, and temperatures are falling once more. It’s a beautiful time of year for family gatherings, outdoor events and cozy nights, especially with the sun setting earlier by the day. With the decrease in daylight, though, also comes the need for some motorists to spend more time driving in the dark. And for many folks—young and old—this leads to added anxiety behind the wheel, as well as an overall increased probability for accidents. Statistics show that even with 60 percent less traffic on the road, roughly half of all fatal car accidents happen at night. Some of the reasons for these accidents include the decreased visibility and perception of motorists, higher numbers of drunk and drowsy drivers on the road, and a greater number of speed-limit breakers. And, for one reason or another, drivers are also less likely to wear their safety belts at night, w ... read more

Apparently, we as Americans are starting to get the picture when it comes to parenting. According to a study conducted by two economists from the University of California San Diego, the amount of time parents are spending with their kids today has risen dramatically when compared to earlier generations. The study, which analyzed how Americans used their time during different periods from 1965 to 2007, revealed that, since the mid-1990s, the level of parental involvement with their children had almost doubled for both men and women, working or not. And when it comes to the health and well-being of our kids today, that’s wonderful news! Time and time again research has shown that children whose parents take an active role in their lives experience tremendous emotional, mental and physical benefits. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, teens whose parents were present when they went to bed, woke up and came home from school were less likely to ex ... read more