You do force it. “You are very busy, and I’m going to want you to be driving yourself to your activities soon” and then have her drive to said activities when you are taking her. Even just 15 m drives will help. In fact familiar routes will build her confidence.

If she really gets difficult about it, start making her bus or get her own rides. The same parents I know who say their kids aren’t interested usually play chauffeur at their kids beck and call. The reason Gen X was motivated to drive was bc out parents weren’t about to drive us around like that. Stop playing uber

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids in NYC and other urban areas often don’t get a driver’s license until after college. It’s pointless when you can walk take the subway or Uber and driving your own car in the city is completely impractical.

My family always loved go-karting so the kids were eager and comfortable driving when they hit 16.5…but even with a license will usually metro or Uber 80% if the time because parking in downtown DC is a pain and costs $$$s.

The upside to waiting is car insurance is much less if you add kids at 18 vs 16 and then drops again at 21+.

Born and raised in NYC got my license the SECOND I could.

Great…but you know tons of kids who didn’t…so why make such a stupid comment.

"Kids in NYC and other urban areas often don’t get a driver’s license until after college."

Because your comment was a blanket highly ingnorant statement. That's why.

Often dipshit…that means less than always and less than 100%. Again, if you actually grew up in NYC, especially Manhattan, then you know many kids don’t get a license.

Why are you arguing over a fact you know to be true?

That’s irrelevant. Kids in NYC that don’t get one due to cost or taking public transportation is an entirely different situation than kid in DC suburbs not getting onetime due to anxiety

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids in NYC and other urban areas often don’t get a driver’s license until after college. It’s pointless when you can walk take the subway or Uber and driving your own car in the city is completely impractical.

My family always loved go-karting so the kids were eager and comfortable driving when they hit 16.5…but even with a license will usually metro or Uber 80% if the time because parking in downtown DC is a pain and costs $$$s.

The upside to waiting is car insurance is much less if you add kids at 18 vs 16 and then drops again at 21+.

Born and raised in NYC got my license the SECOND I could.

Great…but you know tons of kids who didn’t…so why make such a stupid comment.

"Kids in NYC and other urban areas often don’t get a driver’s license until after college."

Because your comment was a blanket highly ingnorant statement. That's why.

Often dipshit…that means less than always and less than 100%. Again, if you actually grew up in NYC, especially Manhattan, then you know many kids don’t get a license.

Why are you arguing over a fact you know to be true?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids in NYC and other urban areas often don’t get a driver’s license until after college. It’s pointless when you can walk take the subway or Uber and driving your own car in the city is completely impractical.

My family always loved go-karting so the kids were eager and comfortable driving when they hit 16.5…but even with a license will usually metro or Uber 80% if the time because parking in downtown DC is a pain and costs $$$s.

The upside to waiting is car insurance is much less if you add kids at 18 vs 16 and then drops again at 21+.

Born and raised in NYC got my license the SECOND I could.

Great…but you know tons of kids who didn’t…so why make such a stupid comment.

"Kids in NYC and other urban areas often don’t get a driver’s license until after college."

Because your comment was a blanket highly ingnorant statement. That's why.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids in NYC and other urban areas often don’t get a driver’s license until after college. It’s pointless when you can walk take the subway or Uber and driving your own car in the city is completely impractical.

My family always loved go-karting so the kids were eager and comfortable driving when they hit 16.5…but even with a license will usually metro or Uber 80% if the time because parking in downtown DC is a pain and costs $$$s.

The upside to waiting is car insurance is much less if you add kids at 18 vs 16 and then drops again at 21+.

Born and raised in NYC got my license the SECOND I could.

Great…but you know tons of kids who didn’t…so why make such a stupid comment.

Anonymous wrote:Kids in NYC and other urban areas often don’t get a driver’s license until after college. It’s pointless when you can walk take the subway or Uber and driving your own car in the city is completely impractical.

My family always loved go-karting so the kids were eager and comfortable driving when they hit 16.5…but even with a license will usually metro or Uber 80% if the time because parking in downtown DC is a pain and costs $$$s.

The upside to waiting is car insurance is much less if you add kids at 18 vs 16 and then drops again at 21+.

That’s stupid. You should have a license before going to college- you never know when you’ll need to drive somewhere. If OP’s kid is having a parent cart her everywhere- then she needs her DL and now is great time to practice with a parent every opportunity and gain confidence. It’s usually no cost or very minimal to have them drive on a permit. They can drive on a permit until they are 18 if you want to save cost on insurance and if they are taking public transportation most places. But they still should be learning and driving with you frequently. It is a life skill and I wouldn’t let their anxiety win. They can do it. Kids need to practice doing things that make them anxious and uncomfortable. If you let your kid slack on this- this habit of shrinking away from anything out their comfort zone will only be completely

I don’t think you need to push it right now, but she really should have one by around 18-19. It’s not going to get any easier for her to learn once she’s in adulthood and it can be career-limiting. In some organizations where I have worked, people who can’t drive can’t really be promoted into more senior roles because these often have travel needs that can’t be met by ride sharing and public transit alone.

Anonymous wrote:Do whatever makes sense for your family.

Unless our kids attend college in a dense urban environment, such as London or Manhattan, they will learn to drive before going to college.

It is not about whether our kids have a car or regularly drive. It is about being able to drive a car if they are riding with someone else and that driver unexpectedly becomes incapacitated. Our kids at least need to be able to drive to a hospital or fire station to get help. Odds are that won't happen, but ours ought to be prepared for that possibility.

I agree with this and a pp who equated driving as a life skill like knowing how to swim.

Anonymous wrote:Kids in NYC and other urban areas often don’t get a driver’s license until after college. It’s pointless when you can walk take the subway or Uber and driving your own car in the city is completely impractical.

My family always loved go-karting so the kids were eager and comfortable driving when they hit 16.5…but even with a license will usually metro or Uber 80% if the time because parking in downtown DC is a pain and costs $$$s.

The upside to waiting is car insurance is much less if you add kids at 18 vs 16 and then drops again at 21+.

Born and raised in NYC got my license the SECOND I could.

You can't just opt out of part of adulting such as learning to drive. This is a life skill. Do you job as her parent. This is not negotiable.

A parental fail if they aren't learning to drive. Truly is. Do the work.

Girls have to know how to drive themselves home. They just do.

In my anecdotal data, I have noticed that DD’s friends who wait end up getting more and more nervous about it. I was grateful she wanted to learn because I know so many in this generation put it off. I firmly believe that being a confident driver before leaving for college is very important. I want her to be able to take over for a friend if they have made bad choices or easily remove herself from situations.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I seriously don’t understand this generation. There are so many kids that don’t want to get a license….even with uber and public transportation, it must be so limiting to not have the ability to hop into your car and drive to your friend’s house, go to a restaurant, go to your part time job, drive yourself to school, to the mall, to all the places we used to go as teens. No wonder they are so anxious and depressed.

+1

Yeah, I don’t get it either. You need to force it. She already took the class and has her permit, right? She needs to be driving nearly every time she and you go somewhere. If you say she is very busy, that must means she gets driven many places- she needs to take over the driving. As she gains confidence, she will give less resistance.

Kids in NYC and other urban areas often don’t get a driver’s license until after college. It’s pointless when you can walk take the subway or Uber and driving your own car in the city is completely impractical.

My family always loved go-karting so the kids were eager and comfortable driving when they hit 16.5…but even with a license will usually metro or Uber 80% if the time because parking in downtown DC is a pain and costs $$$s.

The upside to waiting is car insurance is much less if you add kids at 18 vs 16 and then drops again at 21+.