Anonymous wrote:wow, i'm also surprised by the replies.

I grew up in a rural area and everyone practiced driving with their parents in parking lots at age 14/15 (pre permit). It was very much the norm.

I grew up in a suburb near a large city and everyone learned to drive with their parents in empty parking lots.

I don’t get the extreme responses. Maybe trolls.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:wow, i'm also surprised by the replies.

I grew up in a rural area and everyone practiced driving with their parents in parking lots at age 14/15 (pre permit). It was very much the norm.

But the kid in question was 13. Way too young.

Why? Don’t most kids learn to drive in empty parking lots? Why does it matter if it’s 13 or 15?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t care. Not helpful to learn driving, but just as good a way to pass the time as anything else. Am assuming empty parking lot, which sounds like this was. Anyone callling CPS over this (or thinking now their precious child can’t come to OP’s house) is completely ridiculous.

As a teacher, if I know a parent is violating the law in ways that impact their child's safety, and I don't call CPS, I lose my career. Sorry, I'm not going to jeopardize my ability to support my kids so OP and their kid can joyride.

Why would you have to report anything about a parent teaching their kid to drive in an empty parking lot?

Isn’t that how most kids learn how to drive?

Anonymous wrote:wow, i'm also surprised by the replies.

I grew up in a rural area and everyone practiced driving with their parents in parking lots at age 14/15 (pre permit). It was very much the norm.

But the kid in question was 13. Way too young.

Oh goodness, I can’t believe these replies. This is no big deal. Absolutely no judgment here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:During lockdown one winter activity was letting our 13 year old learn how to drive in high school parking lots. She is 15 now but no permit age yet.

Would you judge a parent for letting their early teen practice driving like that? We wonder if our DD telling her friends about it will make us appear reckless. We are actually a very boring family this just came about in those dark days.

In general I want them driving a lot and early while still with us to develop skills.

Honestly, if I knew you did something like that my kid would not be allowed in your house again. If I learned about it at school (I'm a teacher) I'd be obligated to call CPS. I would advise your kid not to tell her friends that you broke the law.

What are you yammering about?

Damn you have never been on a farm.

A farm doesn’t have a high school parking lot. Have YOU ever been on a farm?

This entire exchange was just delightful. I’m snorting from laughing so hard. Thank you both!

previous poster again.

I should clarify--the parking lots were completely empty. I remember going with my dad.

My own kids are not driving age yet. Since we live in the city I would love to delay their driving as long as possible (and they don't really need to drive--they take the bus, Metro, Lime bikes, etc).

I'm also a mandatory reporter (pediatric nurse) and never in a million years would I think of calling CPS over this.

wow, i'm also surprised by the replies.

I grew up in a rural area and everyone practiced driving with their parents in parking lots at age 14/15 (pre permit). It was very much the norm.

If you owned enough private property for her to do it that'd be fine with me. But you don't, so it isn't.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:During lockdown one winter activity was letting our 13 year old learn how to drive in high school parking lots. She is 15 now but no permit age yet.

Would you judge a parent for letting their early teen practice driving like that? We wonder if our DD telling her friends about it will make us appear reckless. We are actually a very boring family this just came about in those dark days.

In general I want them driving a lot and early while still with us to develop skills.

Honestly, if I knew you did something like that my kid would not be allowed in your house again. If I learned about it at school (I'm a teacher) I'd be obligated to call CPS. I would advise your kid not to tell her friends that you broke the law.

What are you yammering about?

Damn you have never been on a farm.

OP here. I’m quite surprised by the blowback here. I grew up in a rural area so kids driving around with their parents was very common. I guess we’ll dial it back until she is legal if it’s that big a deal that CPS would be involved.

I do believe early driving is important though to build an instinct and reflex even at low speeds.

Yes, and you do that when they are old enough for a learners permit. Not before. In a city.

An empty parking is not “in a city” in any meaningful way.

Maybe they think the 13YO also drove TO the empty parking lot? I think it was pretty clear that wasn't what OP meant.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t care. Not helpful to learn driving, but just as good a way to pass the time as anything else. Am assuming empty parking lot, which sounds like this was. Anyone callling CPS over this (or thinking now their precious child can’t come to OP’s house) is completely ridiculous.

As a teacher, if I know a parent is violating the law in ways that impact their child's safety, and I don't call CPS, I lose my career. Sorry, I'm not going to jeopardize my ability to support my kids so OP and their kid can joyride.

That’s true but as another teacher, you know this isn’t worthy of a CPS call.

I grew up in a small town and was practicing driving well before I had my permit. We were in empty party lots with parents. Everyone did it.

DH took our own son to one when we were visiting family this summer. I know some of his friends practice with parents ok back roads or lots here but we don’t. It’s too crowded for my comfort level until he has a permit. I don’t judge those other families or OP at all.

We were also driving riding lawn mowers and snow mobiles when we were teens. Many still do.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:During lockdown one winter activity was letting our 13 year old learn how to drive in high school parking lots. She is 15 now but no permit age yet.

Would you judge a parent for letting their early teen practice driving like that? We wonder if our DD telling her friends about it will make us appear reckless. We are actually a very boring family this just came about in those dark days.

In general I want them driving a lot and early while still with us to develop skills.

Honestly, if I knew you did something like that my kid would not be allowed in your house again. If I learned about it at school (I'm a teacher) I'd be obligated to call CPS. I would advise your kid not to tell her friends that you broke the law.

What are you yammering about?

Damn you have never been on a farm.

OP here. I’m quite surprised by the blowback here. I grew up in a rural area so kids driving around with their parents was very common. I guess we’ll dial it back until she is legal if it’s that big a deal that CPS would be involved.

I do believe early driving is important though to build an instinct and reflex even at low speeds.

Yes, and you do that when they are old enough for a learners permit. Not before. In a city.

An empty parking is not “in a city” in any meaningful way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:During lockdown one winter activity was letting our 13 year old learn how to drive in high school parking lots. She is 15 now but no permit age yet.

Would you judge a parent for letting their early teen practice driving like that? We wonder if our DD telling her friends about it will make us appear reckless. We are actually a very boring family this just came about in those dark days.

In general I want them driving a lot and early while still with us to develop skills.

Honestly, if I knew you did something like that my kid would not be allowed in your house again. If I learned about it at school (I'm a teacher) I'd be obligated to call CPS. I would advise your kid not to tell her friends that you broke the law.

What are you yammering about?

Damn you have never been on a farm.

OP here. I’m quite surprised by the blowback here. I grew up in a rural area so kids driving around with their parents was very common. I guess we’ll dial it back until she is legal if it’s that big a deal that CPS would be involved.

I do believe early driving is important though to build an instinct and reflex even at low speeds.

Yes, and you do that when they are old enough for a learners permit. Not before. In a city.

Everyone should practice driving as much as possible before they get out on the main roads. A vehicle is a giant weapon, and there are too many adults these days who can't drive. Someone needs to be making sure that kids can drive before they are old enough to obtain a driver's license.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t care. Not helpful to learn driving, but just as good a way to pass the time as anything else. Am assuming empty parking lot, which sounds like this was. Anyone callling CPS over this (or thinking now their precious child can’t come to OP’s house) is completely ridiculous.

As a teacher, if I know a parent is violating the law in ways that impact their child's safety, and I don't call CPS, I lose my career. Sorry, I'm not going to jeopardize my ability to support my kids so OP and their kid can joyride.

God, I hope you aren’t my kids’ teacher. If a teacher thinks they are going to lose their job by not calling CPS because they overhead a kid say he drove in an empty parking lot (without even knowing if it’s true!), they are just kind of delusional.

If this teacher reports enough, sadly CPS will not take her seriously if she actually files a real report.