Wish me Luck?

Avatar for kel7col4
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wish me Luck?
13
Fri, 07-20-2007 - 4:16pm

DD started driver's ed finally this morning. Um she is already scheduled to drive on Monday!!! Omg are they nuts? They are actually even making them go on the interstate? Yup they are officially crazy. Here's the kicker - the instructor told them (supposedly?) for them to have their parents let them drive around a bit over the weekend - to get used to everything and get the basics down. This thought terrifies me!! The running joke in the family was dh was going to teach dd to drive (she and I are close, but I tend to bring out the worst in her). He obviously won't be here before Monday and OMG I'm a nervous wreck!! What do I do? Go to the mall parking lot when they are closed? Drive down a nearby dirt road? Just let her back up and down my driveway? All of these options still have things that can get hit!! I can't think of any open fields anywhere nearby and my yard isn't car friendly.

They don't use driving simulators anymore????




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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-22-2003
In reply to: kel7col4
Fri, 07-20-2007 - 4:25pm

I had to teach my younger daughter to drive after my husband took her out for the first time and she asked "Which is the brake pedal and which is the gas"...honestly!!! That's how much she didn't know (or she was kidding to hide her fear).

My suggestion is first start in a deserted parking lot. Teens have a hard time at first reversing and then turning the steering wheel in the right directions so don't have her start backing out of your driveway.

Go to the parking lot and let her experiment with the gas pedal and brake. Get her used to the feel of the wheel and above all HAVE CONFIDENCE IN HER...even though you just swear she's going to hit anything that may be in the way....tell her she's doing fine and give her confidence to continue.

That's the best advice I can give. Believe it or not, they do learn...everyone does sooner or later. You have to trust yourself and your daughter. You'll be making memories that she'll never forget! (Go have icecream afterwards)

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-22-2003
In reply to: kel7col4
Fri, 07-20-2007 - 4:39pm

I just wanted to add a little bit more...a mall parking lot is good or any parking lot that is fairly empty afterhours or early in the morning. We found that early in the morning (and I know teens don't want to get out of bed early) but the streets were fairly empty early in the morning and you had enough light to drive. Once we started in the parking lot, don't concern yourself with the lined parking stalls, just let her go around them. Once she has some experience, then let her try to fit the car into the striped lines (obviously not next to any parked cars).

You really should take her out before Monday because you want to give her some experience and confidence before she has to drive with the instructor. With my teens, they had to have another student in the car during driver's ed and perhaps that could get embarrassing (although it didn't bother my girls). The instructor will take them right out onto the streets. You'll be amazed how quickly they pick it up and adjust.

We dubbed our youngest "Princess Leadfoot" because she drives too fast. Now when my girls drive with me, they constantly criticize my performance....:>)

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-24-2006
In reply to: kel7col4
Fri, 07-20-2007 - 5:36pm
I took my dd to the school parking lot. On weekends no one was there and since school is out now very few people will be there. My dd could have gotten her license a few weeks ago but does not want to yet??? Seems odd to me but I'm not forcing the issue. We have jumped a few curbs BIGTIME once while parking, she got the brake and gas confused?? Good thing we have an older SUV that could handle that. I'm so glad I didn't take my seat belt off once she had pulled in the parking spot, I would have went through the windshield. I was quite nervous after that to ride with her. I even tried talking dh into teaching/riding with her but he's not as available as I am. In the beginning I didn't let her drive with ds(11) in the car mostly because he could be a distraction and say stuff to make her upset/nervous. Good luck I know how you feel! It does get better though.
Avatar for bookwormmom
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-22-2003
In reply to: kel7col4
Fri, 07-20-2007 - 10:45pm
I am the one in our family that is teaching DD to drive. DH is a wreck when driving with her, even though she is doing really well. The first place I took her, believe it or not was the cemetary. That seems to be one of the popular places around here. It's always the joke that it is the safest place, because you can't kill anyone there.
But honestly, it's a great place. There usually isn't much to deal with in the way of traffic. Most people who are there are parked at the side of the road and are out of their cars at a gravesite, no one is behind them to make them nervous about going slow.
We started out very basic too. Kelsie didn't know much of anything, she was pretty sure she knew which was brake and which was gas, but that was about it. I made her stop and start up a lot. I would pick random spots and tell her "that tree is the corner, stop there" I'd make her do everything just like on the street, if we came to an intersection, I would remind her to look both ways and see if there were cars. I made her back up and pull into parking places. She did that a few times and then the next time I made her drive home, which is only a few blocks, on the less busy streets. This worked great for us and a couple times we saw other teens driving there with parents, I'm sure they were doing the same thing. I like the cemetary, because it has actualy roads where as a parking lot doesn't.
When I learned to drive, my Dad put me in the car and told me "okay, now back out of the drive way and let's go pick up Mom at work." and that is what we did, right onto our street and then the bigger busier ones. I'm not sure how we both lived through that but we did.
Good luck and I agree with the other poster, tell her she's doing great, even if she isn't and remind her that it takes time to learn, not to expect to be able to drive like a pro right away. She'll be fine and so will you.
Kristie
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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-16-1999
In reply to: kel7col4
Sat, 07-21-2007 - 9:54am

Hugs to you - it does seem intimidating in the beginning, but it'll be ok.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-17-2005
In reply to: kel7col4
Sat, 07-21-2007 - 3:31pm

Oh God I hate teaching my kids how to drive. At least I have made it through the triplets and have one more left.

We started out in an empty parking lot so that they could get comfertable. They never hit anything and it was not bad. I also had them practice parking when they got more comfertable with it. Once they got better I had them run errands for me. Then after awhile we went on the freeway. That was scary the first time. The first time Shea got onto the freeway she got on going like 35 mph and got infront of a huge 16 wheel truck. I had to yell at her to drive faster and the truck was honking at us. I gained a few gray hairs that day. The most important thing is to be calm and not to scare them.

Even to this day, whenever one of them drive I find myself pushing on an imaginary break peddle when I think they are too close to a car.

Stephanie

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-31-2004
In reply to: kel7col4
Mon, 07-23-2007 - 8:33am

Good luck today to your dd and you!! Take a couple of deep breaths.

I thought the same way you do. I just could not imagine dd behind the wheel of a car. I did teach her. Started in school parking lot that actually had turns and stop signs.
I know my neighbor dd's had a driving teacher and he said they did great.

dd did learn and is a very good driver. Sometime our kids surprise us in good ways.

Hang in there Mom, she'll be driving in no time!. Then when you don't feel like driving she can chauffer you around.

Andie

Avatar for weberdns0
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Registered: 08-25-2000
In reply to: kel7col4
Mon, 07-23-2007 - 12:01pm

My ds is driving now and here's what we did....


1.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-28-1999
In reply to: kel7col4
Mon, 07-23-2007 - 2:06pm
I can't imagine teaching 3 teens to drive at the same time. I hope you got a discount from the driving school.
Avatar for kel7col4
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
In reply to: kel7col4
Mon, 07-23-2007 - 2:07pm

Thank you all for the advice!! I didn't get a chance to posts about the experience, because well lol "stuff happens"

We actually had a blast. I took her to the middle school parking lot and she actually did pretty good. She definitely had her blonde moments, like she never realized which side of the street we drive on!!! We are driving through the parking lot and she kept ending up on the wrong side, like we lived in England!! She's like mom, but we lived in Europe and I'm like um "k" we lived in Germany - they drive on the same side of the street we do!! It was quite fun....

She should be finishing up right now with her driving instructor. When I dropped her off, this little, old, hilarious man comes up and introduces himself (dd says he is a nut!). Puts dd in the car and they are going over things. I assume she was suppose to release the emergency brake, because I noticed the hood released. I didn't say anything thinking maybe he was going to have her do some maintenance checks or something? After a few minutes of all the prerequisites, dd puts her seat belt on and he's telling her to put it in reverse. LMAO I had to tell him the hood was open!!!! I can only imagine....




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