Parental Tips For Teaching Your Teen How To Drive
Listen up, y’all. That time in every parent’s life that’s been long coming has finally arrived: teaching your child how to drive. I know, I know—you may not want to do it, or you may have been looking forward to this day for some time. Either way, your child expects you to show them how things are done. Before you start, consider these parental tips for teaching your teen how to drive to ensure you’re calm, collected, and trusting in their abilities.
Teach Them Proper Car Maintenance
Car maintenance for new drivers is crucial, y’all. It sets the path of knowing how a car operates and what to do if things go wrong. While you’re probably not a licensed mechanic or auto technician, you can still teach your kids basic exterior and interior maintenance tips. For example, I recommend teaching your kids how to change a tire, how to find and use the emergency brakes and lights, and how to use the lights, windshield wipers, turn signals. Granted, I expect they’ll learn this in their Driver’s Ed course, but these are still important details to instill in their minds. Better to be safe than sorry!
Limit Distractions
Another crucial safety tip is to limit distractions. If your teen is new on the road, remind them never to use their phones for any reason while driving. Distracted driving is potentially fatal, impairing drivers in the same way as driving under the influence. Also, keep music, podcasts, and radio noise to a minimum. If you trust your teen’s driving ability, you may feel that it’s okay to play quiet music in the background. But remember that you should only do this if you feel your teen understands the basic rules of the road and can maneuver the vehicle in a safe, responsible manner.
Be Patient
Listen up, y’all—I know that driving with your teen may be exhausting, frustrating, and, at times, scary. However, one of the best parental tips for teaching your teen how to drive is to be patient. Start slow and build up their experience. It’s common to practice driving in an empty parking lot during the day so that your child can build up their confidence. When your child feels ready to move on, have them start driving to local hotspots around town to help them get a feel for their surroundings. Pick a time with light traffic, like a weekend morning, when your child won’t feel pressured or impulsive on the road.
Trust Them
With that said, remember to trust your child in their abilities. I know, y’all—your teen may be the last person who knows what they want in life, but learning how to drive is an important milestone for them. Remember when you learned how to do it? Driving is an act of independence that helps your child transition into adulthood. You may not want to see your teen grow up, but they must still learn basic driving skills to become an independent young adult. Practice driving often to build up this confidence, and soon you’ll have your own personal chauffeur to take you wherever you want to go.
