The long and (not so) winding road
filed in Teen Driving on Oct.17, 2008
Sometimes our rational thinking goes out the window when we have kids. Middle Child was invited to a sleepover tonight and since she’s been yapping about getting her temps…”soon mom….like I wanted them last month!”….On the way to the party I said, “Well, do you want to drive down the street?”
Middle Child: (Very excited, like when you get a lot of birthday gifts)
”Really???? Isn’t that illegal since I don’t have my temps”?
Me: (chuckling) ”You’ll be fiiiiiiine, you’re just driving down the street…And I’ll be sitting right next to you!”
So I sat shotgun and my darling took the drivers seat. Quick refresher: blinker, break, gas, look both ways (twice). She pulled out and gave ‘er some gas. Funny, I never realized our street was so long.
For some reason her safety zone was smack in the center of the street. So I calmly told her to get more to the edge. It was a little like that toy: sit and spin? In never realized that my Jeep could go back and forth like that so quickly….without rolling over.
We only had to pull over and put the hazards on twice to let a car behind us pass, and she found out that when you push hard on the gas on ‘take off’, you could possibly throw your mom threw the front window. (I bet she’ll remember that one the next time she’s pissed at me) At the end of the road we switched drivers. With happy tears in her eyes she proclaimed, “I don’t think I want to do this driving thing, it’s scary”
Hey! Ya don’t have to tell ME that, I’m the one with the wet pants! Next time? Cemetery!











October 17th, 2008 on 7:36 pm
My, my. This will be me in about 5 years. I am not ready!
October 18th, 2008 on 12:49 am
Oh boy! I remember those days. I remember my daughter driving on the freeway while I sat in the front seat with her. We were in the slow lane and I was riding in the shoulder. She had herself smack in the middle of the lane. Perhaps it a girl thing. Thanks for visiting my blog. Smiles!
October 18th, 2008 on 4:54 am
It’s good that you gave her that chance to practice driving. I’m sure she’ll do just fine with constant practice and encouragement.