Image from here.
I am in no way implying that this is a picture of me. I am not a doggeh.
This is just probably how it feels to my poor, poor teenage drivers.
We had a situation last week.
We have a situation lots of weeks, but this one was particularly unpleasant and of course I learned something.
I took driver's ed when I was 14. That's right. 14 years old. We took a class for many weeks. We practiced in a controlled environment consisting of a parking lot and a two story building with real cars, a viewing area with windows on the second floor, and a speaker system that "spoke" to the car radios. Finally, driving around the city with two of your closest driver's ed buddies & an instructor.
Oh, yes, humiliation all around.
I got a daytime license that let me begin to drive in the dark when I turned 16.
It did not involve parental involvement.
Very different world, but I am a very good driver.
Flash forward to poor miss s, who has taken today's version of driver's ed: a big check, quite a few hours in a classroom with the freakout videos, three hours drive time with an instructor, and 50 hours required drive time with a parent (affidavit to be sworn and signed by said parent).
I think you can see where this little diddy is heading.
Yes, I am the crazy, nervous parent that has extreme difficulties when riding with my new teenage drivers.
I don't like the jerking around. I don't like being so close to the cars in the other lane. I don't like a lot of things about it.
I know they are just learning. I know it is all new. I know she is nervous.
It's days like that one when I question my fitness to be a parent.
It was a very bad situation.
But, I have figured out that I am the woman to teach the new driver how to drive under great stress.
Forget about all the nice, peaceful drives. Anyone can teach them how to drive though those.
I'm the one that can train them to focus in very crazy situations.
Crazy inside the car that is.
I am sorry miss s.
You will be an excellent driver,
you just might want to practice with your dad from now on.
I took driver's ed when I was 14. That's right. 14 years old. We took a class for many weeks. We practiced in a controlled environment consisting of a parking lot and a two story building with real cars, a viewing area with windows on the second floor, and a speaker system that "spoke" to the car radios. Finally, driving around the city with two of your closest driver's ed buddies & an instructor.
Oh, yes, humiliation all around.
I got a daytime license that let me begin to drive in the dark when I turned 16.
It did not involve parental involvement.
Very different world, but I am a very good driver.
Flash forward to poor miss s, who has taken today's version of driver's ed: a big check, quite a few hours in a classroom with the freakout videos, three hours drive time with an instructor, and 50 hours required drive time with a parent (affidavit to be sworn and signed by said parent).
I think you can see where this little diddy is heading.
Yes, I am the crazy, nervous parent that has extreme difficulties when riding with my new teenage drivers.
I don't like the jerking around. I don't like being so close to the cars in the other lane. I don't like a lot of things about it.
I know they are just learning. I know it is all new. I know she is nervous.
It's days like that one when I question my fitness to be a parent.
It was a very bad situation.
But, I have figured out that I am the woman to teach the new driver how to drive under great stress.
Forget about all the nice, peaceful drives. Anyone can teach them how to drive though those.
I'm the one that can train them to focus in very crazy situations.
Crazy inside the car that is.
I am sorry miss s.
You will be an excellent driver,
you just might want to practice with your dad from now on.
LOL!! Poor Ms. S!
ReplyDeleteSo funny! Both of my parents tried to teach me to drive on rural country roads. I started with my Dad. He carefully explained that I should drive more in the center of the old country roads, because the pot holes were terrible. Of course, when Mom got in the car, she nearly came out of her skin. She explained that I should NEVER drive in the center of the road, and wondered where I had come up with such a ludicrous plan. Fortunately, I had a wonderful driver's ed course like yours to balance out my parents "advice". Coach Stacy taught me to drive, and my parents will always love him for that.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Guess who taught me to drive a stick-shift? Not either parent - my 16 year old best friend! She was the only one with enough patience. (haha)