Reply to Soon to be 18 Senior refuses to practice driving

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[quote=Anonymous]I didn't read this whole thread, so sorry if I am retreading territory, but this is really sad.

Driving is a major milestone in kids being independent.  After driving I saw my kids become more in touch with managing their own time, allowing for traffic, etc.  They made more spontaneous social plans, autonomy about when they arrive and leave, more awareness of the geography around them, following directions, etc.  A real jump in independence.

From what one of my kids told me, there are lots of messages kids are receiving on social media and in mandatory driving school about how dangerous driving is...  it is obviously dangerous to drive, but I think the powers that be are over-shooting with these messages.  No wonder kids who have the slightest bit of anxiety are reluctant to learn to drive.

The strategy that worked for my family for our reluctant drivers is lots of practice at off peak times with an ice cream cone thrown in.  Lots of support and guidance from parent instructor.  DC is a super hard place to drive relative to lots of other locations.  Makes sense kids would need to practice more.  But letting your kids be chauffered around by you just reinforces their fear, lets them be lazy and deprives them of an important milestone.  (Obviously if you live in the city and your kid is bopping around on public transportation your situation is different.). If you live in the suburbs and can afford to have your kid drive, make it happen![/quote]

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