Ok, so you have a teen driver. You are very likely having a panic attack. You trust your kid, you know they are good and smart kids. Alternately, you have watched your child walk directly into a mall fountain because they were on their phone. So you’re both excited that you don’t have to drive them all over town for basketball, and a little worried that they are going to get distracted and get into an accident. The best thing you can do is to really focus in on teaching your kid safe and defensive driving skills so that they are ready to take on the road when the time comes. Here are a few tips to get you, the nervous wreck parent, ready to train your new driver.
Before Each Driver Training Session
- Take time to plan out your route rather than winging it. Choosing quiet side streets, and avoiding busy thoroughfares would probably be a solid choice. Make sure you go over the route with your teen. It will help them be prepared too.
- Have an agenda of what road skills to work on before each drive begins.
- Adjust the passenger side mirror so that your teen has to adjust the mirrors themselves. It’s a good practice to get into.
- Stay calm and try not to raise your voice. If you’re calm, your teen will be too. No use in making them more nervous than they already are.
Driver Training On the Road
- Be sure to give your child plenty of advance notice when they will need to turn, or if you want them to perform a specific road skill.
- Keep talking to a minimum so as to not distract your child.
- If a mistake is made have your teen pull over and explain the error so that it’s fresh in their memory.
- Speak and instruct in a calming tone. If you feel like your teen is starting to get frustrated end the lesson for the day.
- Be on the lookout for potential hazards or dangers as scanning their environment is a learned skill that your teen doesn’t yet have.
- When starting, keep the lessons short, maybe 15 or 20 minutes. As your teen gets more comfortable get up to around 40 minutes of driving per session.
- Remember that the information in drivers education is the be-all end-all and you shouldn’t contradict what was taught in these classes. Put your ego aside while keeping in mind that your teen’s drivers’ ed teacher is a certified instructor, specially trained on how best to teach new drivers.
Home, After the Driver Training Session
- Go over the entire session, explaining mistakes, but still accenting the positive.
Ask your teen to assess how he or she drove and what was learned.
Congrats! You’ve made it though. Your teen is ready for the road test and you are probably ready for a nap. Parenting isn’t for the faint of heart, so don’t worry, you’re doing a great job!
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