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Our youngest son is learning to drive. I can't believe it. One day he was our cute little innocent boy, and now he's driving a car! Where did the time go?
That time does eventually come, and always way too soon, I'm afraid.
It's been quite an experience, you know. Haven't had any accidents or fender benders, he's learning, it's getting better. But I still get scared.
I wonder if he's really gonna stop at that stop sign.
Or if he looked in his side mirror before changing lanes.
I don't know cuz I've got my eyes closed. And my fingers crossed. And my feet pressed to the floor. And trying to keep my mouth shut. That's the hardest part.
No really, I don't close my eyes. That would really be scary! But the rest is true.
Have you seen the movie, "Driving Lessons"? It's cute and it's funny. It helped me see the lighter side of this experience. I needed that.
The other evening he got in the left turning lane even though the way home was straight ahead. I said, "What are you turning left for?" He said, "I'm not, I just can't see the lines on the highway." Okay, so they paved the road and the lines were missing. Why did you turn left then? "I didn't, the car did!" Ha ha, he really didn't say that, but I never did understand why he turned to get in the left turning lane if he really wasn't going to turn left.
Then one time the light turned yellow and I thought he was going to go through it, but right at the last second, he stopped, leaving the car way out in the intersection! I hollered a little and said, "What are you doing? You're out in the middle of the road!" We couldn't back up because the car behind us was too close. Man! that was embarrassing.
So it's been a lot of fun and enjoyment spending time with him this way! I can't complain, at least we're spending time together!!
So it's been grand and like I said, he's getting better. Practice does make perfect, I'm so glad for that too!!!
(P.S. He's saving his money to buy a motorcycle so he can get himself back and forth to work and to school, so please be praying for me. Thanks!)
Shew, that is a grey hair producing time, isn't it!!
I can remember when my oldest got his permit (he'd already been driving a bit with his dad on closed roads, etc.). He insisted/begged to drive back to school. We stopped to go through a fast food drive thru to get him some lunch. Well, we had to make a left hand turn and there were cars coming, cars backing up in the parking lot we were turning into, and some pedestrians walking down the sidewalk. We turn in and he says laughingly "mom, you look like you're going to have a heart attack". That was a quick lesson for me that the second one wouldn't drive from the licensing place as well as a quick lesson for him on the seriousness of driving safely. You can still see the imprints of my hand on the "oh my God bar" as we call it!
Location: Life here is not an Apollo Mission. Everyone calm down.
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My sixteen year old has had her license since March. She's doing great, no accidents or tickets (I tell the universe how grateful I am for her safe driving every night before I fall to sleep). Her one big boo boo while learning was right on red. She would just stop and GO! no matter what was going on....never checked to see if the on coming traffic had a left green arrow, so we had a lot of horn honking.
The final test is that she drove me all the way from central Indiana to northern Michigan and back without missing a beat.
I definitely remember last year.....So I feel for you, lol....mom's with learning drivers house have a secret handshake....oh wait...just check for the white knuckles.
I love Driving Lessons. Julie Walters has always been one of my favorites. She really made me feel old though, because when she did Educating Rita I figured she and I were close in age!
Shew, that is a grey hair producing time, isn't it!!
I can remember when my oldest got his permit (he'd already been driving a bit with his dad on closed roads, etc.). He insisted/begged to drive back to school. We stopped to go through a fast food drive thru to get him some lunch. Well, we had to make a left hand turn and there were cars coming, cars backing up in the parking lot we were turning into, and some pedestrians walking down the sidewalk. We turn in and he says laughingly "mom, you look like you're going to have a heart attack". That was a quick lesson for me that the second one wouldn't drive from the licensing place as well as a quick lesson for him on the seriousness of driving safely. You can still see the imprints of my hand on the "oh my God bar" as we call it!
Thanks for sharing, we can always laugh about it AFTER it's over, right?
Yeah, the white knuckles and the marks from our nails dug into the dashboard!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MainStreet
My sixteen year old has had her license since March. She's doing great, no accidents or tickets (I tell the universe how grateful I am for her safe driving every night before I fall to sleep). Her one big boo boo while learning was right on red. She would just stop and GO! no matter what was going on....never checked to see if the on coming traffic had a left green arrow, so we had a lot of horn honking.
The final test is that she drove me all the way from central Indiana to northern Michigan and back without missing a beat.
I definitely remember last year.....So I feel for you, lol....mom's with learning drivers house have a secret handshake....oh wait...just check for the white knuckles.
I love Driving Lessons. Julie Walters has always been one of my favorites. She really made me feel old though, because when she did Educating Rita I figured she and I were close in age!
Thanks for sharing, you must be so proud of your daughter driving all that way from Indiana to Michigan with no problem at all. Wow! You were really brave to let her do it, too.
The final test is that she drove me all the way from central Indiana to northern Michigan and back without missing a beat.
You are brave Mainstreet! My 17 year old daughter has been driving for just over a year and I haven't allowed her to do interstate driving. I didn't let my oldest for a couple of years either.... finally realizing that if he was going to come home from college, he'd have to get on the interstate! LOL New driver at 35 mph is one thing.... at 65 is another!! That experience is worth about a half a head of grey hair! So, I bow to you!!
My daughter got her permit on a Saturday, and on Sunday (just about 3 weeks ago!) we went to the mall, it is about a 40 minute ride, around 30 miles, and YES, on an interstate. I let her do it and she did fine.
Today I saw a Mom whose son is in my daughter's class and she kinda yelled at me and said, "I can't beleive you are letting her drive! I won't let my son drive until he is 18!" Here in Pa, you can get your permit on your 16th birthday and your license at 18. She said this in front of her son and my daughter. I wanted to ask her if she really thought her son would be any more prepared at 18 than 16, and how did she expect him to go to college without a drivers license! We live in a rural area, so there is NO public transportation.
Location: Life here is not an Apollo Mission. Everyone calm down.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bluegrassgirl
You are brave Mainstreet! My 17 year old daughter has been driving for just over a year and I haven't allowed her to do interstate driving. I didn't let my oldest for a couple of years either.... finally realizing that if he was going to come home from college, he'd have to get on the interstate! LOL New driver at 35 mph is one thing.... at 65 is another!! That experience is worth about a half a head of grey hair! So, I bow to you!!
Well it was basically a 7 hr crash (pun) course there and back. She did really well...we had a couple white knuckle moments, lol. Her thing is that she couldn't do two things at once....like maintain speed AND change lanes on the interstate. So there were a couple of times I'm trying not to yell "WHY ARE YOU SLOWING DOWN!!!!" She'd stay at a speed and then drop down to an unsafe slow speed to change lanes and I'm sure some folks behind us were wondering if she wasn't drunk!
We live in a small town, so most of her driving has just been to and from school.
I have to agree about getting a license at 16-17, I can't imagine waiting until 18 and then sending them off to college as a brand new driver! I'd want my child to have as much experience driving alone and responsibly as possible. I couldn't sent a new driver away to school and not worry endlessly.
Last edited by MainStreet; 10-06-2007 at 08:10 PM..
Things have changed since I grew up in rural colorado...I wasnt allowed to drive my folks car so had never driven a car until my uncle[guess he thought I had] took me to the county seat to take my drivers test on my 16th birthday....in his 49 chevie p/u with 4 speed....
My 16 year old has his permit - he'll be getting his license after he's 17. I wouldn't let him get his permit until his grades were up and he started showing a little more personal responsibility - as in - you want me to let you drive my 30K car yet you can't remember to put away the milk or pick up your wet towel off the floor...
Anyway - I am a nervous wreck....he drives with one hand on the wheel and won't sit up straight. So - I told him that unless he starts driving "textbook" while he's learning - he won't be learning. I didn't let him drive for 2 weeks. AAAHHHH!!!!!!! I would rather be changing diapers
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That's cute, the "oh my God bar"
