Drivers’ Ed – The Parents’ Perspective
Your son or daughter has been looking forward to this day for years, yet you have a hard time believing it has come. Like it or not, your baby is learning how to drive. To your teenager this signals a sign of fun and a move toward adulthood, but feels to you like a terrifying, daunting idea. You understand the dangers of the road and worry that you won’t be able to protect your child. You find yourself pushing an imaginary brake even as you ride alongside him or her in the passenger seat. Just the idea of driving with your teen again makes you break into a sweat. What can you do? How do you make sure your teen stays safe while also protecting him or her from harm? How can you navigate this new, scary season? To help answer these questions, here’s a look at some tips for making sure your kid is safe behind the wheel, both today and well into the future.
- Remember Practice Makes Perfect. What’s the difference between the way you drive today and the way you drove when you were 16? Practice. Years and years of practice. It’s not magic that you now understand more about the road, other drivers, harsh weather, etc. than a new driver; it’s experience. And just as practice has turned you into a more capable driver, practice will be vital for your child, too. So look at the opportunities to take your teen practice-driving as an opportunity to put hours onto his or her life-experience tab. Start out in empty parking lots and slowly progress to quiet streets and eventually onto busier ones. The more time your teen can spend in each progression, the better — for both of you.
- Stay Alert. When you’re the one in the car with your child during driving practice, take the responsibility seriously. This probably won’t be hard, as your entire body will be on emergency alert. But remember to pay attention to what’s happening so you can gently offer instruction as needed.
- Talk Openly with Each Other. It’s all too easy to let fear move your mouth instead of patience, but know that this is a mistake. Work hard to have good communication with your teen before, during and after you hit the road together so you can avoid panicking and escalating matters into an argument or scary situation for you both. Sit down to discuss your expectations, what you will be doing on a given day and what you won’t be doing. After a driving session, discuss what went well and what could be improved in the future.
- Be Willing to Teach. If you want to give your child the best advantages possible on the road, don’t take a backseat in his or her driving education. Rather than leaving the lessons to the classroom, try to be a ready resource for your child, both in questions about driving and in information about taking care of a car. By making yourself a safe place to find answers, you keep the lines of communication open and help your child learn more.
- Try Not to Panic. Sure, you love your child and want to keep him or her safe, so it’s only natural to want to panic when you feel like you’re losing control and/or the ability to protect. Try to remember that if you panic while your child is driving, you make the learning process more stressful and difficult. Strive to stay calm.
All good parents want to protect their kids, so it’s normal to feel anxious about your teen learning to drive. You have to remember though that this is a natural part of life. Your child is growing up, and the way you respond to new things like driving will either hurt or harm your relationship — the choice is up to you. Use the tips above to help yourself stay calm, rational and supportive as your son or daughter gets behind the wheel.
Author Bio:
Kimberly Quinones is the Vice President of sales at Newins Access Insurance. Her team is committed to keeping every driver safe and covered behind the wheel.
