New Driver on the Road
Posted by Lisa Hendey in Family on Tuesday, August 03, 2010 12:00 PM
Yesterday, as I was busy flying (back) to Philadelphia for this week’s Catholic Marketing Network and Catholic Writers Conferences, a milestone was occurring at my home. Greg and Adam braved the DMV and Adam passed his driver’s permit test, so he is now ready to hit the road. In California, teens can obtain their permits at age 15 and a half, but Adam’s a bit on the old side and will turn sixteen in September.
Honestly, the procrastination was a bit intentional. Eric was nearly seventeen when he earned his license. I’m convinced that the extra time and maturity were important then, and I feel the same way now with Adam.
And yet, I can so clearly remember the thrill of being a driver. I received my license the day after my sixteenth birthday (I failed the driver’s test the first time around)! I loved the feeling of driving independently, and honestly still love a good road trip!
When Eric was learning to drive, Greg did most of the hands on teaching. I think we made the mistake of not having him drive enough during the training period. He wasn’t all that anxious to drive, and still will hand the wheel over if someone else wants to drive. Adam, on the other hand, is extremely anxious to take the wheel. With Eric heading off to college, I’ll be back to driving Adam to school this year. I think it’s likely that he will actually be driving me, as we practice his road worthiness. I’m a bit nervous about that, since Greg did most of the behind the wheel hours with Eric. I hope I can be patient enough (and brave enough) to help Adam learn all he needs to know.
For those of you with teenage drivers, I’d love to hear your tips and techniques for instructing a teenage driver. What worked for you, and what was a disaster? Do you have any horror stories, or better yet tales of great success that you can share?
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