If you are a parent, then you will probably pass certain milestones with your kids. You might enjoy them very much. Think about the pride you’ll feel when you witness a child’s first steps or when they bring home an A on a test for the first time.
You must also teach them to drive. When you get to that point, maybe they’re excited, but you’re likely terrified. You’re about to entrust your car keys and a multiple-ton vehicle to a person who can’t even legally buy a scratch-off lottery ticket yet.
New Mexico drivers can start learning at age 15, and that’s true in many other states as well. Some kids at that age demonstrate responsibility, and others not so much.
If you have a teen who very much wants to get their license, though, you may feel like you have little choice but to start teaching them the basics. Let’s talk about some things you should keep in mind as you help them to take this monumental step on the path toward adulthood.
You Should First Show Them the Car’s Features
As a parent, you probably know your children best. You likely know whether they’re clumsy or coordinated.
If you have a coordinated and responsible child, they’re probably in a better place to start learning to drive when they’re in their middle teens. You may also have a teen who you’re not sure should get behind the wheel just yet.
Regardless, they stand the best chance of becoming good drivers if they start by gradually learning a car’s most crucial components. You can show those to them. Without turning the car on, identify the vehicle’s rearview mirrors, side mirrors, tires, air conditioning, heat, and gear selector, or gear shift, if you have a manual transmission vehicle.
Tell them what each one does. You may also want to pop the hood so they can have a look at the engine. You can show them where to add the various liquids that cars need to stay functional.
You Can Let Them Drive Around a Parking Lot with No One Else Around
You should continue by taking your teen to a deserted spot with no other vehicles around, like an empty parking lot. You might use a school parking lot during the summer when there are no students.
A church parking lot may work if there is no service that day. You might use a fast-food restaurant parking lot if it’s off hours.
Start by letting them get behind the wheel. You can sit in the passenger’s seat. Then, once you both feel ready, you can let your teen ease the car from park into drive.
You can encourage your teen as they practice easing forward and then stepping on the brakes. As they become more confident, they can gradually start driving around in circles.
They can practice pulling into parking spaces as well.
Only Let Them Get Out on the Street with Others Cars When They Seem Ready
Once you have driven with them around the parking lot for a while, you can let them drive around in a quiet neighborhood. You might find one that’s usually deserted.
Ideally, it should not have any traffic lights. You want them to practice things like turning from one street onto another and staying in their lane.
Try to monitor them and see how they’re doing. Some teens will naturally take to driving quicker than others. If they have excellent hand-eye coordination, that’s often helpful as they get more comfortable behind the wheel.
If you feel like your teen gets the basics after a few lessons, you can next instruct them to get onto a road with multiple lanes on either side and a little more traffic. Only do so when they say they feel ready, though. It’s best that you don’t rush them.
Highway Driving Should Come Last
After a few weeks spent driving around neighborhoods, you can move on to highway driving. For many teens, this represents a step up in difficulty.
They will have cars driving past them at much faster rates of speed at this juncture. Let them practice getting onto the highway and moving from the passing lane into the fast lane and back. Hopefully, they won’t feel too much stress while they drive at faster speeds with more traffic around them.
They Should Consider Driving a Privilege, Not a Right
A time will probably come when you and your teen both feel that they can take the driving test. Remember that there’s both a written portion and a driving one, and they should study for both.
If they pass their test, then you will probably feel very proud of them. They should feel a sense of accomplishment as well.
Now, you must decide whether you should get your teen their own car. Not every family can afford to do it. You might have an older vehicle that you feel like you can give to your teen while you purchase a new one for yourself. You must look at your finances to determine this.
Your financial situation shouldn’t emerge as the only factor when you make this decision, though. You should impress on your new teen driver that you’re only going to give them your old car, or you’re only going to let them borrow yours from time to time, if they’re responsible.
You can use getting them a vehicle or borrowing yours as leverage. You might tell your teen they can have your old car or borrow yours if they do all their homework, clean their room, mow the lawn, or complete any other tasks you’ve assigned them.
They might grumble about that, but it’s a great way to teach them responsibility. Ideally, they will strike out on their own at some point. When they do, they should know how to take care of a household. You can incentivize giving them a vehicle to teach these crucial lessons.
