Handing the car keys over to your teenage son or daughter is a rite of passage in many families. For some parents, it’s a sad moment. Can you believe they’re actually old enough to drive? And for others, it’s a joyous occasion. Finally, someone else to run errands or pick up grandma at the airport – your years as the family taxi driver are over.
But even if you’ve sent them to a driving school to learn the proper skills needed on the road, the fact is you’ve been teaching your kids about driving all along. The question now is what bad habits have you passed on that you’re not aware of?
Do you gun it at the yellow light? Perhaps you text and drive? Or maybe you pass up the seat belt and speed on highways or zigzag through traffic without using your signal light. Well, guess who’s been watching all these years? No, not the police (well they are out there, but not all the time). It’s your kids. And they’re learning about driving from you.
If you have a teenager getting set to become a driver, the best advice is to pay for a professional driving school to teach them. There are many out there and thanks to Google, you can easily find the right one (with reviews) for your needs. The best schools will teach defensive driving methods, proper techniques, and the rules of the road. Not only that, it will save you the hassle and stress of doing it yourself and passing on your bad habits.
It’s probably been years since you took a driver’s ed class and things have changed since you last had a green N on the back of your car. For one, the advance of technology has put a smartphone in nearly everyone’s hands – and sadly, too many people are using it when behind the wheel. Your kids need to know the dangers and what to look out for on the road.
And while your teenager is learning, why not learn something yourself? Get involved in their driver education, ask them what they’ve learned, and read up on what they’re being taught. No doubt, you might even learn a thing or two, or at least be reminded of some bad habits that you need to eliminate.
Keeping an open mind to learning, recognizing your own bad driving habits, and making an effort to teach your kids the smart, safe way to act and behave behind the wheel will encourage them to do so when they ask for the keys.
For more information
- Bad driving habits rub off on kids, whether you know it or not, Driving.ca
- 15 Tips for Teaching a Teenager to Drive, Popular Mechanics
