Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s informative to hear others reactions but I have no problem with this. She’ll probably ultimately be a safer driver for it.

Or she’ll take out the car before she has her license because she knows how to drive.

And then next thing you know she'll be stripping at Good Guys and addicted to painkillers.

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s informative to hear others reactions but I have no problem with this. She’ll probably ultimately be a safer driver for it.

Or she’ll take out the car before she has her license because she knows how to drive.

I think it’s informative to hear others reactions but I have no problem with this. She’ll probably ultimately be a safer driver for it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I keep wondering why you thought teaching a 13 year old was a good idea. The last thing I want is for my teens to think of driving as a "fun activity" instead of a serious responsibility every time they get behind the wheel. I would probably judge. We don't get to pick and choose which laws we follow.

We absolutely do get to pick and choose what laws to follow.

I'm the "stupid" poster who reminded everyone that we all break the law when we go over the speed limit. Who here can tell me that they never go even 1 mile over the speed limit? People pick and choose every day. Sometimes going over the speed limit can actually be dangerous, yet you still do it. Letting a young teen drive 5 mph in a parking lot is causing zero harm to anyone, yet everyone is clutching their pearls. Dcum makes no sense to me sometimes.

Please, your comparisons don't make sense. So everytime someone does something stupid or illegal, you are going to pull out "have you ever traveled a mile over the speed limit?"

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.

why don't you just get your kids to play more video game to increase reflex. Stop dong illegal stuff.

At 14 my mom was letting me drive (with her) on the streets in my MoCo neighborhood.

And my DD when she was 14, I was taking her to empty parking lots or an empty industrial area to drive. Illegal yes. But tell me how many people posting here never exceed the speed limit when driving. Which is also illegal and more dangerous that a young teen driving a car within Mom/Dad in an empty parking lot.

I wouldn’t judge because I did the same with my 14 year old but we would to go empty church parking lots (thank you LDS church!) Schools are public property so we were worried that we could somehow be ticketed.

My son now at 15 1/2 got his permit and those skills he learned in the parking lot are useful. Backing up in a straight line, three point turns, pulling in and out of a parking space and realizing there are blind spots, etc. Several of his friends are not interested in driving at all. I think waiting until 18 and then getting a license doesn’t leave enough time to practice before leaving for college.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I keep wondering why you thought teaching a 13 year old was a good idea. The last thing I want is for my teens to think of driving as a "fun activity" instead of a serious responsibility every time they get behind the wheel. I would probably judge. We don't get to pick and choose which laws we follow.

We absolutely do get to pick and choose what laws to follow.

I'm the "stupid" poster who reminded everyone that we all break the law when we go over the speed limit. Who here can tell me that they never go even 1 mile over the speed limit? People pick and choose every day. Sometimes going over the speed limit can actually be dangerous, yet you still do it. Letting a young teen drive 5 mph in a parking lot is causing zero harm to anyone, yet everyone is clutching their pearls. Dcum makes no sense to me sometimes.

Anonymous wrote:I keep wondering why you thought teaching a 13 year old was a good idea. The last thing I want is for my teens to think of driving as a "fun activity" instead of a serious responsibility every time they get behind the wheel. I would probably judge. We don't get to pick and choose which laws we follow.

We absolutely do get to pick and choose what laws to follow.

I keep wondering why you thought teaching a 13 year old was a good idea. The last thing I want is for my teens to think of driving as a "fun activity" instead of a serious responsibility every time they get behind the wheel. I would probably judge. We don't get to pick and choose which laws we follow.

why are people so worked up about this? I think it’s not a big deal…they are in a parking lot, not driving up & down the Mall dodging tourists.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it's a big deal at all. But I'm from Texas, so maybe that colors my view.

+1 but from an actual farm. I think driving takes years of practice and I take my 13 year old to very isolated areas.
I also think kids that are in the car on devices and not absorbing the rules of the road. A lot of learning to drive is observation.

So you put your 13YO into he passenger seat without devices to observe.
Then you sign your 15YO up for classroom drivers ed.
Then they sit for the permit exam after they turn 16 (in DC). Then you start the supervised Road Ready program in a parking lot.
About a year later after 40 hours of recorded supervised driving, they take the drivers test and get a provisional license.
Then after 6 months including 10 hours of supervised night driving, they can get a full license with age restrictions.
Then when they are 18 they can get a full licence without restictions.

It is already a long process with years of practice built in; no need to start illegally early.

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.

Agreed. My mom took me to a cemetery at 13 and let me drive the car. She wasn't teaching me the rules of the road. She was letting me have some fun and build confidence. Completely harmless, and it's one of my favorite memories.

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it's a big deal at all. But I'm from Texas, so maybe that colors my view.

+1 but from an actual farm. I think driving takes years of practice and I take my 13 year old to very isolated areas.
I also think kids that are in the car on devices and not absorbing the rules of the road. A lot of learning to drive is observation.

Anonymous wrote:Interesting question OP because I did the exact same thing during our stay at home Covid time with my 13-year-old. It was super fun she really liked it. They were always dead empty parking lots she never went above 10 miles an hour in fact I don’t even think she hit a full 10 miles an hour.

The only time we ever saw somebody it was actually a cop who complimented her on her reversing out of a parking space skill

BS.