am I the only mum who feel's nervous about the teenage years and driving lessons

Tammy - posted on 04/16/2009

I would never let my child drive such a piece of deadly machinery without taking lessons. It's not about it being a requirement. I know as a parent I'm not trained or equipped to teach my son to drive defensively, to handle slippery and snowy weather, all of the new requirements that have been introduced since I took drivers ed. Not only that insurance premiums are much, much less if your teenager takes a course. Shoot, I think even some of us adults should take refreshers.

I have no doubt that my son will be responsible, I'm not at all worried about him - as someone else said, it's the other people that make me nervous.

Celeste - posted on 04/16/2009

That is completely normal to feel that way. I am not nervous actually. My son just started drivers training and is pretty good. I am very much looking forward to the day where he can drive!

Rebecca - posted on 04/16/2009

Al these comments are talking about the class to take and all and in Tx they don't have to take the class anymore.  It is pretty much parent taught.  My daughter is 15 and is driving with a permit.  I am nervous no classes and went and took the written test passed it the first time for just reading the book on her own.  She get her lisence in August.  I am just making sure she drives a lot with parents.  When it is time to get the real thing and let her loose maybe I will be ready.  I don't want to be like my mom.  She followed me my first day to see how would do.  I want to be able to trust her to be careful and not do anything stupid. 

Tammy - posted on 04/16/2009

My son just turned 16 and wants to get his G1. The thing that makes me most nervous about his driving is the fact that he's going to have to learn on a stick shift, and we live in a VERY hilly, retirement community - where the drivers don't look, they just go on faith and stop right behind you on a hill. Also, finding a drivers education course in a rural area is not easy.

I've also noticed 2 grey hairs since his sixteenth birthday, which was only a month ago - LOL.

Lisa - posted on 04/16/2009

My daughter is 16 and is taking Drivers Education now.  It scares me terribly.  Not because of her as a driver, but all the other idiot drivers out there.  The roads are nothing like they were back in the mid 80's when I got my license.  The roads are more crowded and the speed limits have been raised.  Plus, not to mention all the extra distractions the kids have these days. I'll need to be put on medication when she's finally out there by herself. {only kidding about the meds} 

Tammy - posted on 04/15/2009

My daughter just turned 16 and is "busting our chops' to get her G1.....not ready for this I have to say!!!!  I think of when I got my license and what my mother went through with me, I drove her crazy and surely scared her a hundred times or more......why do our kids have to grow up so quickly....lol!!

Juli - posted on 04/15/2009

Yep!

My almost 19 year old didn't get her license, because frankly we could not afford to put her on our insurance and she didn't have a job to pay for it herself.

Almost 16 year old has his permit now, so they are both driving with us...



That being said, we've been after the older one to get her license ASAP now that she can pay for it. She's had her permit for almost 2 years.

She has not taken behind the wheel- we could not afford that either.

Really concerned that she wasn't ready to take the test, seeing she hadn't taken the class. And we personally know 2 teens that died in the past 2 years in driving accidents.

Ironically this Monday, after Easter weekend, she was driving us back to her college 50 minutes away when I became VIOLENTLY ill in the car. Told her to drive us to the hospital. Yucky fluids coming out of all but my ears, and she CALMLY gets us where we need to go.

Now I KNOW she's ready. It's the only good thing that came out of being so sick I thought I could die. I'm laughing inside- really!

Pamela - posted on 04/15/2009

I was really nervous when our son began driving lessons, but with a lot of practise, he became a very good driver and the lessons help to refresh our minds as to the rules of the roads. It was a long time ago that I took lessons and began to drive. He's been driving 2 1/2 years now and I don't feel at all nervous, except in bad winter driving conditions (Canadian winters can be wicked!)  Good luck, lots of practise and know that lessons are a good thing.