Teaching a child to drive

[trauben]

Well? The time has finally arrived and this coming Saturday morning I'll be taking my 16 year old daughter to the DMV and getting her a driver's permit. Then I'll drive us up to the local mall where we are going to switch seats and I'll begin teaching her to have confidence behind the wheel of a vehicle.

I can't believe 16 years have passed so quickly!

It seems like just yesterday I was teaching her to ride her bike and encouraging her to take off those training wheels.

You know? I can honestly say that I'm not worried about this. If I had a skittish, unconfident child I might be, but she's nothing of the kind. She's smart, steady in her decisions, not over-confident, and has a healthy respect for rules.

Maybe I'm more calm about this because I've been through it once before teaching a sister to drive when she lived with me.

Anyone out there have any tips or horror/success stories to share on this topic?

I'll let you know how it goes on Monday.

If by chance I'm not back, send out the troops!

[lamberts-lost-tooth]

Originally Posted by trauben

Well? The time has finally arrived and this coming Saturday morning I'll be taking my 16 year old daughter to the DMV and getting her a driver's permit. Then I'll drive us up to the local mall where we are going to switch seats and I'll begin teaching her to have confidence behind the wheel of a vehicle.

I can't believe 16 years have passed so quickly!

It seems like just yesterday I was teaching her to ride her bike and encouraging her to take off those training wheels.

You know? I can honestly say that I'm not worried about this. If I had a skittish, unconfident child I might be, but she's nothing of the kind. She's smart, steady in her decisions, not over-confident, and has a healthy respect for rules.

Maybe I'm more calm about this because I've been through it once before teaching a sister to drive when she lived with me.

Anyone out there have any tips or horror/success stories to share on this topic?

I'll let you know how it goes on Monday.

If by chance I'm not back, send out the troops!

My son gets his permit in the next couple of weeks....I think I should be asking advise from you!!!!!

[Galax Steeler]

My son is only seven almost eight and I already let him sit in my lap and steer my truck on the back roads he really do's good so hopefully when he turns sixteen he will know what he is doing and be ready to drive. I believe in getting them started young and learning them as they go.

[trauben]

Originally Posted by lamberts-lost-tooth

My son gets his permit in the next couple of weeks....I think I should be asking advise from you!!!!!

Never lose your cool. They'll lose confidence in themselves forever.

I had an incident when my sister was making a fast turn into a bank's parking lot too wide. I had to reach over her and grab the wheel from the far side and yank hard to ensure that turn wouldn't hit the outbound car. We missed it by a hair. I had never said a word. She literally let the car coast into the parking lot and rest in a space near no one. We were there for me to get money out of the ATM. I simply got out, got the money, and when I came back to the car? She was sitting in the passenger seat silently wiping away tears of fear. I walked up to the passenger window (which was down), and joked at her to get out of my seat. Then she cracked and started crying saying that she didn't think I'd let her drive again. I made her get out and get behind the wheel again and then we sat and talked. I told her to always remember that she was in command of the vehicle, the vehicle was not in command of her. I told her that if she didn't like the approach and speed to a turn, simply go around the block and come back at it. I told her not to focus on the a-hole behind her irritated at her inexperience and to only focus on the moment at hand. Then I told her she was smart and could easily do this as I pointed out some freak driving by and stating that if he could drive, so could she. We laughed. She wiped away the tears. Then she determinedly started the car up again and never once had a problem. I always felt good after that with her behind the wheel. I think if I had reacted differently that day, if I had gone off into a tantrum ranting and raving at her? Called her names? There would've been a serious lack of confidence in her ability for life. Even if we had connected? The car was insured, cars are repaired, but images and words spoken harshly are burnt in the brain to be recalled forever. I'd rather pay the damages and laugh about it later in life than have a bad memory sour our relationship for the future.

Just my advice........since you asked.

[trauben]

Originally Posted by Galax Steeler

My son is only seven almost eight and I already let him sit in my lap and steer my truck on the back roads he really do's good so hopefully when he turns sixteen he will know what he is doing and be ready to drive. I believe in getting them started young and learning them as they go.

I bought one of those electric cars for my daughter when she was young. I drew stop signs, yield signs and parking lot spaces in our driveway and walkways with colored chalk. This way she could start practicing young. Why not? She had the ability to back up and put that thing in reverse, why not use it to introduce the process to her? My daughter loves to tell people that she remembers me teaching her how to do a three-point turn on our walkways.

[steelreserve]

You make it sound so easy. I lived near Philadelphia for a few months in the end of 2007, and when I tried to go through all the DMV stuff so I could legally drive a car I had bought, they made it pretty clear that the state of Pennsylvania does not want anyone to drive a car there ever. And I already HAD a perfectly good driver's license. Hope it works out for you...

[TheWarDen86]

You sure the Mall is the best place? I know I am petrified to drive in the mall p-lot here myself.
Maybe that's just because it's New Jersey though (Soccer/Shopping Mom capital of the world).

[MACH1]

It could be worse. Up until a few years ago the legal age for driving in Idaho was 14.

[lamberts-lost-tooth]

Originally Posted by trauben

Never lose your cool. They'll lose confidence in themselves forever.

I had an incident when my sister was making a fast turn into a bank's parking lot too wide. I had to reach over her and grab the wheel from the far side and yank hard to ensure that turn wouldn't hit the outbound car. We missed it by a hair. I had never said a word. She literally let the car coast into the parking lot and rest in a space near no one. We were there for me to get money out of the ATM. I simply got out, got the money, and when I came back to the car? She was sitting in the passenger seat silently wiping away tears of fear. I walked up to the passenger window (which was down), and joked at her to get out of my seat. Then she cracked and started crying saying that she didn't think I'd let her drive again. I made her get out and get behind the wheel again and then we sat and talked. I told her to always remember that she was in command of the vehicle, the vehicle was not in command of her. I told her that if she didn't like the approach and speed to a turn, simply go around the block and come back at it. I told her not to focus on the a-hole behind her irritated at her inexperience and to only focus on the moment at hand. Then I told her she was smart and could easily do this as I pointed out some freak driving by and stating that if he could drive, so could she. We laughed. She wiped away the tears. Then she determinedly started the car up again and never once had a problem. I always felt good after that with her behind the wheel. I think if I had reacted differently that day, if I had gone off into a tantrum ranting and raving at her? Called her names? There would've been a serious lack of confidence in her ability for life. Even if we had connected? The car was insured, cars are repaired, but images and words spoken harshly are burnt in the brain to be recalled forever. I'd rather pay the damages and laugh about it later in life than have a bad memory sour our relationship for the future.

Just my advice........since you asked.

...soooooo....rosary beads...a football helmet...and screaming in fear....are...bad, right?

[xfl2001fan]

While my older sister has been driving longer than I have (I didn't even get my license until I was 18)...I learned to drive a stick almost immediately.

After I got out of the Navy, she decided she wanted to learn to drive the stick shift as well. At the time, I was driving a 1999 Chevy Cavalier (I had purchased it new...GREAT car for learning a stick.)

I took her out on the Country roads to one of my hunting holes so that there wouldn't be a lot of traffic. She did great until a giant SUV got behind us at a stop sign. Then it was move an inch forward...and the car would shake as she stalled. Start the engine...stall the engine. Start the engine, stall the engine.

The people driving the SUV were probably in their late 50's and laughing...but I got out and helped direct them around us and through the stop sign. I had to sit against the drivers door though....to ensure my sister couldn't get out.

As the old couple pulled up along side us, the woman asked if everything was OK with the car. I told them that the clutch fluid was low and so it was sticking. The old man started laughing (his wife was all like "Oh My")

My sister (who's husband is a mechanic) started cracking up about that time (she was on the verge of tears.) After that, she was fine...and managed to get us all the way home with no stalls (couple of close calls though.)

It's all in the attitude you present and keeping your student calm. I'm sure you'll both do fine with teach your kids to drive.