Dealing with Your Child Learning to Drive

Embracing the Milestone with Empathy and Preparation

Learning to drive is a rite of passage for many teenagers, especially in the United States. It marks an important transition towards independence and adulthood. As a parent, you play a significant role in helping your child navigate this exciting and challenging journey.

Let’s talk about how parents and children can take this journey together while navigating the stress, fear, and excitement surrounding this milestone.

The Importance of Parental Involvement in Learning to Drive

Whether parents like it or not, they’re involved in their children’s driver education from day one. Children observe what you do, how you drive, and distracted behaviors like texting. Typically, parents are their children’s driving coaches, but who coaches them?

“Facilitated programs that engage parents and teens together are shown to positively impact the formers’ role in coaching and monitoring their novice driver and the latter’s safety,” according to the Governor’s Highway Safety Association.

Being in the car with your child for the maximum number of hours possible gives them feedback, guidance, and oversight. Children naturally push…