While it may not seem like a good thing now, shortly after the learing stage of driving, a parent will have a live-in errand assistant. The teen driver will soon be able to visit the grocery store for short orders, drop off or pick up the dry cleaning, and better still, drive himself to soccer practice!
Well, its not easy for any parent to accept that his or her baby is ready to get behind the wheel and guide such a complex piece of machinery. This is a time when being a parent brings out the protective instincts and causes a parent to panic.
Driving Instruction Tips for Parents
If one is the lucky parent who actually gets to teach the child to drive, although it is difficult, always try to remain calm when sitting in the passenger seat. If the teen needs to make a sudden stop, don’t scream, “STOP!!!” Instead, attempt to give the order to stop in the calmest voice possible, and if need be, ask the child to pull over . This will give the parent a chance to collect themselves and if need be, explain the mistake to the new driver.
Typically when giving directions from the driver seat in a loud or upset voice, the teen tends to get upset due to the transference of nervous energy from the parent. This is not the way to go. That will only make the teen feel apprehensive and he or she will take even longer to learn the lesson.
Behind the Wheel Hours
Parents should be sure to study the rules or laws of driving in their particular state with the new driver when not behind the wheel. Make time to do practice drills for basic traffic laws. This will make both parent and child more comfortable behind the wheel as the parent can inadvertently wind up brushing up on things he or she have taken for granted or forgotten from his or her own driving test days.
When it is time to consider adding the child to theinsurance policy, consider enrolling the child in driving school and encourage him or her to continue making good grades in school as both of these factors can reduce insurance premiums a great deal.These savings can come in handly since adding a teen driver can be grossly expensive, depending on the car or cars the child will be driving.
Exhibit Patience With Teen Drivers
Parents must remember to trust him or herself as a parent. Keep in mind that if a teen was raised to be responsible and mature, and though he or she will make mistakes, one should not assume that he or she has not learned these lessons. Lastly but not least, as a parent, it is important to recall that everyone was once a new driver and it usually turns out just fine.
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