Third Time’s the Charm
Two down. One to go. I’ve already taught both my son and Big Sis (older daughter) to drive and am happy to say they are both excellent drivers (and no, I can’t even type that without hearing Dustin Hoffman saying that line in Rain Main”.
Now I’m on to the third child.
Though Little Sis (younger daughter) doesn’t turn sixteen until next month, I’ve already started her driver training. She’s backed out of the garage and drove up our driveway a few times. As we head over the hill to ballet, we’ve discussed things such as when to brake, how you maintain speed, when to signal for a turn and how to handle ice/snowy roads. We’ve also hit upon other points such as who has the right-of-way at a four-way-stop sign, two-way-stop and red light. While sitting in the car waiting for her dad to get done at work, we’ve gone over how to adjust the mirrors, work the windshield wipers, open the hood and put on the hazard lights. I’ve shown her how to execute a three-point-turn, put the vehicle into 4-wheel drive (a necessity in the winter around here *g*) and that you don’t have to turn the wheel hard or far to follow a winding road.
Teaching someone to drive is interesting because, for me at least, it’s digging deep and trying to articulate all the things that I now do (and have been doing for years) w/o thinking. Back the car up? Just do it. Brake to avoid that kid darting out into the street? No problem as I was scanning the sidewalk and had a feeling he was itching to get going. Put just the right amount of pressure on the gas to get up a hill or on the brake when going down? It just is.
Which is why I have to constantly remind myself that though driving is almost instinctual for me now that I’ve done it for so long, it’s not for her. It’s all new. And exciting. And more than a bit frightening – not just getting behind the wheel and being in command of a vehicle, but also the freedom. The responsibility. The realization that she’s growing up.
(That last one’s the scariest thing for me *g*)
Who taught you to drive? What type of vehicle did you learn to drive in? Can you drive a standard (stick shift) transmission?
