I can’t believe that my daughter is old enough to get her drivers license already, it seems like yesterday that I was bringing her home from the hospital. The time has flown by quickly and she is turning into a beautiful young lady. My daughter was born with a bilateral hearing loss and wears a cochlear implant. In fact, she turned 16 in December of 2012 and weren’t quite ready for her to taking drivers education until a few weeks ago when she began asking if she could find a job.
Disclosure: This post is for informational purposes only. All opinions reflected in this post are my own and may differ from your own opinions.
Driving Will Give Her the Freedom to Get a Job in the Future
She has been wanting us to let her get a job this summer, so that she can earn some extra money to help pay for her band activities and spend money on things that she wants. With her band schedule it would be difficult for her to maintain a job and keep up with her grades, right now if she found a job she would be dependent on us to take her to and from work each day. A few weeks ago my husband asked her if she wanted to learn how to drive. She eagerly jumped at the opportunity and said yes.
33 comments
Hi there,
I was terrified with son #1… and he had a wreck about 6 months after he got his license, so I’m still terrified. I am not terrified with son #2 because I’ve learned to do it better (LOTS OF DRIVING TIME) and because he’s differently wired (NATURALLY CAUTIOUS).
Good luck!
Thank you for sharing Karen. I hope that your oldest son didn’t suffer any major injuries.
I’m already terrified and my daughter’s only just turned 2! I see teens driving around town and wonder what were we thinking making this legal! 🙂
Yes it is a scary thought . 🙂
You are most brave. Mercifully, my child is 14 so I still have time. However, I did dangle a carrot in front of him. I told him that unless his GPA is 3.50 or above he’d have to wait until he was 18 before he can have a learner’s permit. Great suggestions for those who can afford the insurance though.
Great idea Emilliana thank you for sharing this great advice.
OMG! We’re on son #2 learning to drive and with both boys I’d bit my lip, squeeze the seat…I was a mess while they were both just so happy. The oldest got his license the day he was 16, son #2 is 17 and taking his time.
Whew…
Sharon you have a ways to go still. I think kids mature differently and parents should take that into account too.
My mom was very supportive of me driving. I got my license at 16!
Yvonne Brown
I did too but I was fairly responsible and my parents needed help driving my younger siblings here and there.
IO worried but I think we need to let them grow up and part of that is to take responsibility and making mistakes too.
I totally agree Anita. Thank you for sharing.
I can relate! My Kaitlyn is now 15 and the driving bug has hit!! Thanks for sharing your helpful insights! Great job!
Your welcome Denny. Good luck with your daughter driving.
I could not agree more with you, when parents give support to their kids and drive together the hours they need the results are amazing, and with no doubt they become better and responsible drivers!
Thank you for sharing Meire.
I must admit I’m so thankful my days of behind the wheel training with my kids is over. The rules have changed and so have the young drivers. I think it’s a great idea to have more restrictions on the youthful drivers longer. More experience makes for safer drivers for everyone on the road.
Yes Carla, there are so many more distractions today than just a few years ago. You have cell phones, ipods, kids wearing head phones while driving, and toting their friends every where.
Yes, this is a huge responsibility. I still have 4 years to go before my son gets behind a wheel of a car. Scary thoughts, but I know the inevitable needs to be embraced. Thanks for sharing.
Your welcome Gary, I hope these tips are helpful in a few years.
We are not there yet, but will definitely support our daughters and encourage them with driving as we do with everything else 🙂
Thank you for sharing Delia.
Nkids here but I would think it would be both exciting and scary….
Thank you for sharing your input Carl.
Yikes – I am SO not ready for the driving years for my guys. Out of our three we have one boy who will likely be able to actually drive. My oldest and youngest are both legally blind, and for some reason the state frowns on giving licenses to those who don’t have acceptable vision (it’s horrible I know!) … plus they have active seizures — and the State would prefer they not drive when they could potentially have a seizure.
Suffice it to say Bobby (my oldest) is NOT pleased about this – he feels that, as the oldest, he should be driving just like his brother in a few years. So we’ve had some creative conversations about working around barriers as a result. He’s now (somewhat grumpily) looking forward to getting his official state ID instead. 😉
That is hard for your oldest and youngest. My sisters had to prove that they were seizure free for a year before they could get a DL. Good luck and thank you for sharing your story.
My father taught me how to drive, and I remember the lessons and tips he gave me even to this day. I think parental involvement in learning how to drive can be a very positive experience in the long run, and one that reinforces safety first. Of course, in the short run, the parent teacher does need lots of patience, and nerves of steel 🙂
I agree Dawn. Parents can explain their own difficulties with driving and sharing experiences.
Hi. I still think learning with someone professional is a better idea than your with parents… then the parents dont have to feel pressured to get the child through the test. It took me 4 but i eventually made it through with a mixture of parental help inbetween lessons and instructor lessons. I think parents can sometimes give the kids bad habbits that do no good when the examinor comes to marking you on the test. Procedures and safety really should be learned by a professional institution. For examlpe I starter training with instructor from http://education4drivers.com/ and passed practice exam from the first try
My son just turned 14 and I’m already freaking out. Oh well, it’s going to happen, so at least we’re planning already! 🙂
Having totaled my parents new car just days after getting my license, I can appreciate the hesitation. That said, parents need to be involved in helping their child learn.
This is such an informative article and thanks for sharing..
I am afraid of my 24 year old daughter to drive. Thankfully her fiance taught her how to drive.