Did you teach your kid to drive yourself?
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Anonymous
| My DC is getting a learners permit. I am thinking of teaching her to drive myself but not sure if it is a good idea. What was your experience? Did you enjoy it as a parent or as a kid? Was your parent a good teacher? |
Anonymous
| In Maryland, kids with a learner's permit need 60 hours of driving plus 6 hours with a driving instructor. For most of us, it would be cost prohibitive to pay a driving instructor to oversee those 60 hours, too! So yes, I taught my kids to drive. It's a lot of work, and it can be stressful at times. But overall it has been a good experience to share with my teens. |
Anonymous
| I loved it. And I realized I’m actually a good driving instructor. It forced me to think about things I take for granted when I get behind the wheel or things I do just based on muscle memory. |
Anonymous
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Never change DCUM.
(To answer OP, of course! But people on here hire out their kids bike lessons so nothing will surprise me.) |
Anonymous
| My mom is a nervous wreck and never taught me to drive. Kids with parents with anxiety suffer the most. My dad has a permanent scowl and always angry. 2 dumb f u cks who never taught me and my sibling to drive. |
Anonymous
Are you my sibling? My parents refused to teach me, get me lessons or even ride with me. |
Anonymous
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I taught DC #1, after they did their classroom lessons. + the 6 hours in-car by the driving school. Spouse taught DC #2, after their classroom lessons. + the 6 hours in-car
Just a matter of who works better with each child. |
Anonymous
| I’m the best driver I know, so yeah, I taught both of them. |
Anonymous
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In MD, teens are at the mercy of some adult with a license who can sign off on those 60 hours. In my home country, the teen is required to have a lot more hours with an authorized driving school, and since the driving test is much harder (urban, highway, parallel parking, etc), beginners really need all those hours. My husband is teaching my son the basics. At some point, I will also give him some lessons. Thank goodness we're available and willing. My parents would have freaked out at the idea of teaching me how to drive. We were all sent to driving school with professionals (and lessons are cheaper there too, since there is a greater pool of clients). |
Anonymous
Had to make sure I didn’t write this but I have an only. I am the best driver I know and I taught my kid starting way before legal age in parking lots. She was ready for the road when she got her learners permit |
Anonymous
| I handled most of my daughter's instruction, including teaching her to drive a stick shift. It was a great bonding experience and she was much better prepared than her peers who relied principally on hired instruction and driving the occasional errand with their parents. |
Anonymous
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Yes in Virginia the new driver needs 45 hours of driving (including 15 at night) and then they have separate behind the wheel which is 7 sessions of observing and 7 of driving.
OP if you don't teach them, who do you plan to outsource this to? |
Anonymous
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Yes I'm teaching them. I will enroll them in drivers ed before they can get their license, but I can teach basics.
It's mostly fun but if I'm tired at all it's better not to go out that day. A lot of it is just comfort and confidence. |
Anonymous
Same/same, except my D and S learned on a farm truck when they were 13 and 14. By the time they were ready for their tests, they both could drive our Peterbilt 389 tractor. |
Anonymous
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Is Officer Wilson still alive/doing lessons?
If they are, that's the way to go. He's a decent teacher but the real value is he can get you a road test slot without dealing with the wait list. |