I can remember when I turned 14 and making the statement to my mother that in 364 more days I could get my learner’s permit to drive. I remember the look on her face. I recognized that look when my 13 year old informed me that in just 3 months she could get a motorcycle license.
Yeah, like THAT is going to happen!
Ok Ok that’s the typical mother-hen, my child is not old enough to cross the street by herself, much less be driving ANYthing on the road.
And then she let it slip that her father had been letting her behind the wheel of our Xterra! I nearly fainted. Needless to say, he heard from me about it, for all the good that it did. We live in a very rural area with lots of back roads and places for kids to learn to drive without having to deal with tons of traffic.
Secretly, I’m glad he’s already letting her explore what it feels like to be behind the wheel and the tons of responsibility that comes with it. If he’s doing it, I won’t have to! Not that I’m not looking forward to this rite of passage that all teenagers go through, but I have NOT been looking forward to being the one to watch her when she first got behind the wheel.
I’ve always explained speed limits and the price you pay if you don’t heed them. I’m the lady on the interstate that everyone gets mad at because I’m actually DOING the speed limit and not 10 miles above it. I’ve been guilty of speeding, but after seeing so many accidents on the road, and so many teenagers killed because of speeding and recklessness, I was convicted of my own sin and I don’t do it anymore. How can I order her to stay at the speed limit if I don’t follow it myself?
I taught my younger sister to drive, but that’s very different from teaching your own child. I worry so much about her safety, the way things are on the roads today, and I know eventually the time will come when I will have to turn her loose behind the wheel and trust that God has His hands on her, keeping her safe, but for now, I am glad that I still have time to say’no, you aren’t old enough yet’.
As a parent, you have to remember to be sure that they know all the rules and recognize all the signs, the dangers, and how to be defensive. These are things that they read in the booklet before they take their test, but in reality, they aren’t things you can learn from a book. These are things that have to be learned by observation and by trial and error, unfortunately.
I’ve made sure, already, that she recognizes all the road signs and knows what each one means and how to react to each one. My husband and I have taught her about keeping your tires checked, your oil level and other maintenance. We’ve lectured about having the radio too loud, and we don’t eat behind the wheel, or try to read, or other such nonsense that some nuts try to do and drive at the same time. And we’ve drilled it into her to ALWAYS wear her seat belt no matter where she is sitting in a vehicle, front seat, back seat or otherwise.
Now, I just have to count the days with her until she’s old enough to actually drive.
God, when I said I wanted a baby, I wanted a baby. Did you HAVE to let her grow up? (JUST kidding!)