after only 3 1/2 hours

[Zoe Girl]

we have a learner's permit for Tyler, age 16. When we got to the DMV the system that gave us a number estimated 1 hour and 26 minutes so we went to the mall down the road and got him shoes and a pretzel snack, then we came back and got right back into waiting. What was shocking was after he was called to take the 25 question test it was about an hour before we got called up again. I did go back and ask if we had missed anything, sigh. Honestly I gave birth to him in less time than it took to wait at teh DMV.

But okay, now we have a year and 50 hours of documented driving time and my last one will be on the roads!

[Float On]

Wow thats some long DMV time. Congrats to your son. I think it took my son 25 minutes total. Course then he wrecked my truck and broke my ankle and has been a bit shy about asking to drive so he can get his hours logged.

[jp1]

Kids learning to drive today have to document hours behind the wheel? I suppose I'm starting to get old and I realize that things change, (insert "When I was a kid BLAH BLAH BLAH!" story here...) but there was nothing like that when I was learning. I just had to pass the written exam to get my learners' permit and then wait at least 3 months before I could do the driving test. So, about 6 days after my 16th birthday my mom drove me down to the DMV, I took the driving test, and an hour or so later I left as a full fledged licensed driver.

edited to add: thank god it didn't take 3 1/2 hours. My mom might've lost patience, insisted we go back another day, and I would've been socially crippled for life or something.

[peggy]

OK, I have to insert my own 'scary kids driving story' here.
We were living overseas when my son graduated high school. We brought him back for college and left him (hardest thing I ever did...but that's another story!) This kid had never driven. Ever! Not once! 18 and a complete green horn. But bold. So, a year went by and we figured out he had lost his nerve (that happens when they get older and hopefully a little smarter) so when he was 19 we insisted he take driving lessons and learn to drive/get his license. So, to make a long story short, he calls us and says "OK this is my story and I'm sticking to it. I started driving lessons on Friday, and Monday I took the test and got my license!" Mind you we were a half a world away! Thank goodness this guy was too poor to have a car, or I would have never slept. When he visited that next summer, we made sure he got LOTS of practice.

Actually, I really like how some states are starting the graduated license thing. You know, where they can only drive during the day at first, with an adult. Then maybe at night , again with adult. Then with limited other kids in car, etc...

[CathyA]

Kids learning to drive at 15, IS a scary thing. I taught both my kids to drive, plus they both took driver's ed. But kids are pretty green and naive at that age. They think they're indestructible. I was one of those strict parents.........absolutely no driving with other kids in the car, or riding in cars where the driver has only had a year of experience. I trusted my own kids more than I did any others. There are so many accidents where the car is filled with kids under 18.
Cars are lethal weapons and should be treated as such.
I can't believe it took you so long in the DMV! There are advantages to living in a smaller town........hardly ever any wait.
Both my kids have had tons of driving experience now (ages 24 and 26) and I'm still nervous for them! I think I'll be nervous forever!
Good luck to everyone who has kids learning to drive!

[Zoe Girl]

Whenever I get really scared of my kids driving I realize where I learned to drive and how there were no cell phone for emergencies. Eeek. my mom must have been a wreck. I lived in the mountains and had a part time job in the city 2,000 ft below in elevation and drove the 30 minutes back and forth in all kinds of weather. We came up with a system where I called just before I started to drive and then if I wasn't home in a reasonable time then she would send the neighhbor in a jeep to find out what happened. He had to do that a couple times where I was struggling on the road.

The license procedure has changed somewhat between all 3 of my children getting their licenses, they are 22, 19 and now 16. Each one has needed 50 documented hours of driving with me. Part of that needs to be highway and night driving as well. When they get close to getting their license we take a trip to visit their auntie an hour away, take a long rest and they drive back at night on the highway. Then when they have their license they can't have other kids in the car for 6 months and not drive between 12 am and 5 am for another amount of time, etc. I honestly like that. Plus my own insistence that I will NEVER be mad if they don't answer when I call or text. Just wait, and on party holidays like New Years they stay wherever they are at 10 pm and don't drive, mostly because of other people.

So far so good, pretty decent drivers. My oldest is the biggest space cadet out of the 3, but she still is fine. I did lots of extra practice with her. My middle one is a good driver but had a period of time she was pulled over a lot, probably because she looked 14 and had big white girl dread locks driving downtown. But both of them can drive a manual, parralel park and drive on the highway and downtown. That is important to me, that I give them good skills to be independant. So now I think teaching my son is going to be easier than the girls. He has some good common sense and coordination.

[iris lilies]

Zoe, it sounds like you are doing a great job with the driving kids. And what a blessing that you last one may be the most adept.