My oldest son Aidan
{otherwise known as the last kid on earth to get a cell phone} just got his learners permit.
Aidan will have a full year of driving with his permit before getting his license.
He was anxious to sign up for drivers Ed. and we were happy to gift that to him for his 15th birthday.
These are a few things I have learned since becoming a mom of a teenage licensed {permit} driver.
1. Even though you now have a man child, they will still drive off looking like your little boy.
Neighbors will do double takes when they see your child drive by, church friends will throw up their hands and stare, many people will gasp at the fact that the child they once knew as a snotty nose toddler is now driving a two ton vehicle. It really does just seem like yesterday that my little guy was driving the coin operated cars at the mall and now he's behind the wheel. The same wheel in the same car that he was buckled up in a five point harness car seat not too long ago!
2. Just because your child has driven as a passenger with you thousands of times before, doesn't mean that your child will know where they are going.My son seems to be clueless when it comes to directions. On our half mile drive home from the Dollar Store, he turned into the wrong neighborhood! Coming out of the High School parking lot going home, he went the opposite direction. He's driven now for long enough that he's driving to a lot of the same places and he still questions and asks how to get there. It's shocking!
3. You will wish for a brake on the passenger side of the car.
Everyone jokes about this, but until it's a reality for you, you won't fully understand what they are talking about. The guys face in the picture below is exactly my expression as Aidan merged onto the freeway for the first time.
source4. The speed limit feels really fastI have been known to drive in excess of the speed limit. I like to say it's because I'm from the home of the Indy 500. {Sadly, that has never gotten me out of any speeding tickets.} However, when my son is behind the wheel, suddenly the speed limit feels really fast. Especially with cars zipping by on either side of us.
5. Just because they are a great driver on a video game, does not mean they will be a good driver in real life.Don't get me wrong, Aidan has proved to be a really good driver so far. I've never felt in fear for my life {with the exception of merging on to the interstate in rush hour traffic} but some of the things that make kids good drivers on video games are not the same things that make them good drivers in real life. Hitting the acceleration button and seeing how fast your car can get up to top speed is a little bit different when you are driving from light to light in your moms mini van.
source6. I'm not going to lie. Driving with a new teen driver makes me want to drink.That is all.
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