No judgment here. My child has anxiety about driving and I plan to start them in parking lots well before permit time so that they can relax some more behind the wheel when the time comes that they actually have to hit some roads.

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.

Rural areas have different laws in place then urban areas. Most States with a large farming community have laws that allow kids to drive at an earlier age so that kids can help on the farm. It isn't unusual for kids in their early teens to be driving because it was necessary for farm work and helping around the house. It helps that the population is a lot smaller so traffic is very different.

The fact that none of your kids friends were doing the same thing should have been a strong signal that kids do not start driving, even in parking lots, in this area at 13.

I don't think it is CPS worthy to call but I would wonder about your judgement. If she had had an accident it probably would not have been covered by your insurance. If she decided to take the car and go some place, because 13 year olds can make bad choices, and gotten in an accident the fact that you were teaching her to drive at 13 would not have been overlooked by the police department. There is the potential for you to be considered liberl, kind of like being home when teens are having a party and drinking.

The process to get a license now is a lot more complicated then when I was 16, you could get a license in under 6 months back then and I don't think that is possible now. You can choose to slow the process down further when she is 16 in order to increase her abilities if you want but I would not be having her practice before she is of legal age to get a permit in this area.

My mother taught me to drive in NoVA when I was 13 or so back in the '80's.

It came in handy when I was 14 and was able to be a sober driver for some drunk classmates. I got a Mercedes from a Georgetown house to the Fort Hunt area and back to Georgetown. Kids got home safely and nobody drove drunk.

Man I miss the '80's.

Anonymous wrote:It's not illegal to drive in a parking lot. It's not a publicly-maintained road.

Same reason the police can't issue speeding tickets for speeding in a mall parking lot -- the laws don't apply. It's also one of my annoyances -- parking lots, since the signs are set up by the owner, don't always follow the standards for sign location and size, so they can sometimes be easy to miss.

They were in a high school parking lot. I assume a public high school, which would be public property.
I don't know what state OP is in, but MD rules are pretty clear that you need your permit with you even in a parking lot.

Anonymous wrote:I think there are a lot of trolls on here. I know plenty of people who've let their 15 yo drive in a parking lot pre-permit age.

Note the heading: The child in question is 13.

I think there are a lot of trolls on here. I know plenty of people who've let their 15 yo drive in a parking lot pre-permit age.

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.

OP don't let the negativity get to you. What you did was fine.

+1
Empty school parking lot is fine. I was driving around on my uncles farm at that age. There are far more things to hit on the farm then there is in an empty parking lot. I would tell my kid not to share to others though.

Can't kids in VA get their permits at 15?

Yes, they can.

So many hysterical twots.

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.

OP don't let the negativity get to you. What you did was fine.

+1
Empty school parking lot is fine. I was driving around on my uncles farm at that age. There are far more things to hit on the farm then there is in an empty parking lot. I would tell my kid not to share to others though.

Can't kids in VA get their permits at 15?

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.

OP don't let the negativity get to you. What you did was fine.

as a parent- it sounds like you have poor judgement. So yes, I would judge you.

Yes, I’d judge. Rules don’t apply to you.

Anonymous wrote:What would you tell your insurance company if your 13 year hit a post when he thought he was braking? I guess you would lie and tell them it was you.

Parents need to think of the worst case scenario when allowing their kid to do potentially dangerous things.

You should also consider the likelihood of it happening, and how much harm would really be caused. It’s unlikely they would hit a pole because you are right there and of course they would be going slowly. If they did hit a pole, the damage would probably be pretty small. If you have to think of the worst case scenario for everything, then you would never drive with your kid in the car.

Anonymous wrote:What would you tell your insurance company if your 13 year hit a post when he thought he was braking? I guess you would lie and tell them it was you.

Parents need to think of the worst case scenario when allowing their kid to do potentially dangerous things.

I’m sorry you struggle with anxiety. Do you have kids?

What would you tell your insurance company if your 13 year hit a post when he thought he was braking? I guess you would lie and tell them it was you.

Parents need to think of the worst case scenario when allowing their kid to do potentially dangerous things.

It's not illegal to drive in a parking lot. It's not a publicly-maintained road.

Same reason the police can't issue speeding tickets for speeding in a mall parking lot -- the laws don't apply. It's also one of my annoyances -- parking lots, since the signs are set up by the owner, don't always follow the standards for sign location and size, so they can sometimes be easy to miss.