ne of the most daunting decisions that parents have to  
make concerns the car keys and their child.  When can I trust my child?  
How do I know if I can trust my child?  They still aren't responsible 
about getting their homework done on time!  We parents or step-parents, 
as the case may be, tend to focus on the budding young adult rather 
than ourselves.  

An element of the answer to the title question of this short essay is 
what is going on with me, the parent.  Is my fear getting in the way?  
Are my benchmarks of trustworthiness too stringent, or too ambiguous?  
Rather than focus on the child who wants to drive the car, focus on 
the parent who holds the keys.  Sometimes this is the key to 
the best choice.