New Teen Drivers, Practice Makes Perfect
Tuesday January 27, 2009
Okay, maybe not perfect, but it practice certainly helps. Learning all of the rules of the road is not going to teach your teen how much pressure to put on the gas pedal – or maybe I should say how much pressure to not put on the gas pedal. Your teen needs to learn to drive by doing, and you are the elected helper. Scary, huh? Yes, indeed. But it is more scary when your teen starts going out in the car on his/her own and you don’t feel he/she is really ready. Be there to help with his or her practice and you’ll feel better later. Not to mention how much better a driver your teen will be.
Share your thoughts, opinions and experiences in the comments area.
Comments
I have 3 teens and a 6 year old. I really need help learning the rules of raising teens. I’m bad at it. I’m afraid that they are going to be hurt that I keep them under lock and key. This weekend I really messed up and now my 15 year old daughter wants to live with her father and his wife. I know she wants her freedom, and he will give it to her. I have no clue on what to do.
There is alot of arguing between me and my kids because they want to be out with friends, but, their demeanor changes when they come back home. My teens are smoking, their friends drink and smoke pot, my oldest who is 17 is sexually active. I’m just stuck.
He wants to take custody of my daughter now so he won’t have to pay child support for her.
I don’t feel that living with him will be good. But, she is 15 and I don’t want her to be a runaway. What should I do?
wow, my heart goes out to you. i thought i was stressed with my 16 yr. olds REALLY BAD driving skills! I don’t remember being that bad, how can she have no instincts? How do I teach her to drive without destroying our relationship?
I have a 15 yr old daughter who is just learning to drive. It has been a challenge but I have learned over the course of a month that the best way to teach them to drive is the same way you teach them anything. Use lots of patience and positive reinforcment. Give them the encouragement to do things correctly and be there to love them when they make mistakes. It also helps to pray alot while they are driving!
Use lots of patience and positive reinforcement. Give her the encouragement to do things correctly and be there to love her when she make mistakes. It also helps to fast and pray for your daughter every day. Say positive things about her to her. One time tell her how beautiful she is, another time, how sweet she is, etc. Voice your appreciation. Write brief emails/notes to her each day (am and pm) and preface them with “honey/ sweetheart/ princess/ precious/ baby/ sweet terms of endearment. Start doing things together, just the two of you. If you can arrange it, go ice skating together, take her out to get her hair cut and then to lunch, take her out shopping and then to lunch. Go to a “tearoom” where you and she can get semi-dressed up (just the two of you) and go to a “tea” and just talk. Invite her friends to your home for a movie and popcorn night, a DDR and pizza night, a soup/bread and bring your own game night.
Smile at her. Get her involved in a youth/service group or sports or dance/music classes. Keep praying and don’t stop no matter what.
Another thing that I found helpful with my two teens was to put them in private school (ask for financial help), get into counseling together with a woman who has the same values that you have (ask for financial help), go on retreat together, camp together, meet new people and go to new places. Look up homeschool activities. Sandy Cove is wonderful. Turn to God daily for patience and perseverance, strength, and guidance.
Denise is correct; if you want your teen to learn how to drive and survive you must play an active roll in their driving skills. I own a driving school in California, and all of the instructors agree that the students who excel have support from both parents and get lots of practice. In California a teen must have 50 hours driving with parents along with 6 hours behind the wheel with a driving school before taking their driving test.
Once a teen has that license remember parents that driving is a privilege and can be taken away legally by the parent, which can be a sizeable piece of leverage in dealing with our teens.
The best thing you can do is pay for lessons at a proper driing school. There are many, many options available and not all of them will break the bank. Get your kid to pay for part of it as well via extra chores or mowing the lawn or something.
Then you can practice with the kid. Paid for lessons will always help with the cost of insurance and it gets the kids through that first, hardest part. After that you can practice with them and you’ll both feel more confident and comfortable about it.
Big tip…go for lunch AFTER the lesson…especially if the lesson is in a standard!