driving, licensing, driver's education.

[houseelf]

OK. Talk to me. What are your rules? What is your advice. DS got his temp license this summer and has driven almost every time we're in the car together. Honestly, he is still a little scary. I was too cautious as a new driver, like seriously drove 10 miles under the speed limit AND would go out of my way to make three right turns instead of turning left at a light. He's too confident. How do I get that "right balance"? We have told him that while he does need to pass the driver's test, that doesn't mean he has met Mom & Dad's test. We're thinking about waiting past his birthday until the Spring because...we're just not confident.

I found a defensive driving school about 3 hours away that Honda sponsors where they get kids to practice driving into skids, maintaining control, etc. It's spendy and our weekends are jammed. I hate to spend the $ but I can't unleash him yet.

Anybody?

[Meenah]

Send him!!!!!!

[MrsC]

I would get him some lessons with a professional driving instructor before taking the test. He will probably take it more seriously coming from someone else and most are very flexible with their hours.
I think the defensive driving courses are good for someone with a little experience but may be a bit much right now.
I didn't get my license until my mid twenties and remembered much more from the lessons I had with an instructor.
They can help to correct that over confidence. It's still defensive driving but for someone with less experience.

[Ladybug]

I jumped the curb and hit a tree while practicing parking with my dad. It's still a favorite family joke 😆

[Sheherezade]

I am certainly not one to advise others on teaching kids to drive. Mine are both cautious, but it's my fear that they don't have enough experience and are OVER cautious. They both hate to drive. This is not what you want either. We did better with our second, but that was by me beating my husband in to submission with guilt and requiring the guy that actually LOVES TO DRIVE and has a race driving license and instructor status with Porsche as his hobby to step the fuck up. He has been taking our daughter out on bi weekly weekend jaunts, for hours at a time driving to and fro to wherever he directs her to go. He is calm, and she actually has loved the dedicated "dad" time. The first kid totally missed out on that, and although he passed his license exam and drives carefully, he is still inexperienced and I'm very nervous about him taking long highway drives alone to see us (he hasn't yet). I guess I never realized that was also something we should be teaching him. He has little need to drive on the college campus, but it sure would be handy for him to take the 6 hour turnpike drive to see us instead of us picking him up at vacations. But, my baby driving 80 mph and a turnpike full of semis??? *shudder*

All that said, we did put both kids in the Mid Ohio Racetrack driving school defensive teen program. They run programs concurrent with adult driving events (with 50% discounts if you are in both), so my hubby was able to indulge his racing and take the kid to his training with the skid car. The instructors there are great. Maybe this is the same program you are considering. If so, I endorse it.
http://www.midohio.com/school/course...riving-program

There is also a school near us with ex professional drivers that offer all kinds of specialized training. I've considered sending mine to them (and heard nothing but good reviews) but it's a little far away for a weekly class. Maybe there's something similar in your area? http://driveteam.com/

FWIW, I think it's totally worth investing in a few private lessons or a high priced class if it helps dampen the worry associated with putting your kid on the road. That worry will stay with you for at least a decade if not longer. No reason not to spend the money even if it only helps by making MOM feel better.

[SoonerTexan]

Yeah my mom was so freaked about highways that I wasn't allowed to use them in high school. I had to learn by myself in College on unfamiliar highways driving across the city to an internship. I got over it but it was awful. We live in DFW... Driving some of the largest busiest highways in the U.S. Is part of life.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sheherezade]

Yes - I want to get some instruction just in this for my oldest but I fear I missed the window. He doesn't think it's necessary and he's an adult now. (I suppose I could always threaten the college tuition...) My husband did a much better job with our daughter and highway driving instruction.

[Pollyanna]

They can't have too much instruction. I would sign him up, I think it sounds like a great opportunity! Angie is right about it becoming too late. Our oldest certainly has some deficits that she will have to fix. In AZ we simply had no reason to go on the highways so she got minimal experience.

Our kids know that driving is tied to our expectations of them as a person. We expect them to be honest, respectful, doing well in school, pursuing extracurriculars, etc. Yes, they need to be good drivers but we expect good people FIRST. This has been our best motivator in terms of developing a responsible driver.

[PrincessFiona]

driving, licensing, driver's education.

I am the driver's Ed teacher in our home. Thomas is too afraid!!

I let the kids drive as much as possible during the week, and we go on hour long rides each weekend day, practicing all driving situations I can think of. I insist on a lot of nighttime driving too

I have strict driving rules and take the keys away if there is horsing around etc. I don't even allow the radio to be on and I will have them pull over and I will drive if they are goofing off. I let them drive again when I've decided they've earned it back.

I do not think driving at 16 is a right.

Andrew got his license at 18 because due to his aspergers he literally had no interest in driving until then. He was my best student. He was extraordinarily cautious. He is now my worst driver. He totaled his last car.

Amanda wasn't allowed to drive until 18 because of her horrendous behaviors at 15/16. When she was 17, she turned it all around, took driver's Ed and was licensed right at 18. She was a terrible driver when she started and it took many extra months for me to feel comfortable. She actually crashed the car in the school parking lot the first day she ever drove. She is a tremendous driver now. I feel very safe with her and all of her friends want her to drive because she is so safe.

Alex was eager to get his license at 16, but we denied him driver's Ed because he had too many C's. He had s B average but only because he got A's in PhyEd, Art, Videogzme design. Why? He was too lazy. The result is that he has had straight A's for two semesters, now has taken driver's education and has an old beater. We told him he can only take his behind the wheel test if he keeps his grades up and continues to be a safe driver. He is not letting us down.

After many months of parent-directed driver's Ed, we enroll our kids in 3 private sessions with our local driving school.

In my opinion, many hours of parent instruction is what is required. The private instructors help reinforce good habits, teach the kids the things I can't (teaching parallel parking is not my strength. I literally watch YouTube videos with my kids to teach them. I can do it, just not teach it).

I wouldn't drive 3 hours away for the course. I would look into private instruction and also remind my child that driving is a privilege not a right. If he is not safe enough to drive, he will just have to practice more and wait longer. Don't waste your time and money.

Also, as long as we pay car insurance, we believe that we have the right to take our kids' car keys even though they own their own cars. We have taken our 20 year old's keys. Now that he pays his own insurance we don't though.

Driving is a huge responsibility.

Kris


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ladybug]

My parents scared me to death. It came from a place of love and concern. When I had a tire blow out I couldn't talk on the phone to my mom...I was hyperventilating. "Good" drivers don't have accidents. That's heavy. Leave some space for grace.

[PrincessFiona]

My parents scared me to death. It came from a place of love and concern. When I had a tire blow out I couldn't talk on the phone to my mom...I was hyperventilating. "Good" drivers don't have accidents. That's heavy. Leave some space for grace.

I leave room for grace. Lots of it.

Andrew is literally a terrible driver. He has new dings and scratches weekly with no idea how they happened. He literally came home with part of his bumper missing and had "no idea" what happened. I see him speeding all the time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Vishenka69]

Didn't get my license until 25, when I was married and could afford my own car.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

[OrionGrad]

I was so excited to start driving, I got my permit as soon as CA law allowed (15, I think) and got my license at 9 am on my 16th birthday.

It took a few months before my parents would let me drive out of town, and probably 2 years before they let me drive on a road trip with friends. It also probably helped that CA law prohibited 16 year olds from driving with any other minors in the car for the first six months.

I'd have no problem putting some kind of tracking device in my kids cars, though. I've seen too many teenage boys drive fast and get in bad accidents over the years.

[gcuthbe1]

I did drivers ed and I think it was good learning from adults who weren't my family. Also, my parents tried to avoid having me drive in the dark or poor weather until I was more experienced.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk