Teens, Driving & Tylenol - Round Two

It's hard to believe that we have another teenager ready to tear up the streets in one of our hard-earned, precious vehicles. But alas, it's true. Our 15 year old got her learner's permit, and it is time, once again, to teach another child to drive.

I find that it's different this time around. Perhaps because this child is taller (a lot taller, actually!). Perhaps because she's had the benefit of riding around with her older sister for the last three years. Perhaps, she's just more relaxed as the 2nd child. Perhaps, I'm more relaxed. Perhaps, it's a combination of all of these things.

Any way you slice it, so far, it's not quite the nail biting experience that last time was. However, she's getting out of my office park's quiet zig zagging parking lots and little lanes faster than her sister did, and that means the hair raising times are just ahead. On Easter Sunday evening, aside from a few hairpin turns and sudden stops and starts, she'd done such a great job driving all over my office park, I let her drive all the way home. The challenge there is that this includes a small stretch of winding road where there's a guard rail over a creek. (!)

White knuckles ensued, let me tell you. The driving lesson was followed briskly by a soothing glass of Chardonnay and a couple of Tylenol.

We'll get through it. We always do, right?

Ah, parenting...I always say it. It ain't for sissies.

Balanced Babe (aka Molly Wendland)

Comments

[Balanced Babe (Molly Wendland)]

Our first daughter was a little more anxious, just in general. Perhaps, some of that anxiety came from her "teacher" (haha). However, some of that is simply her nature, I think. :-) I truly believe you have to take your cues from the child, and she just took longer to "warm up" to driving. More than anything, it was probably that she was the first and hadn't had the benefit of running errands with an older sibling!

[Naomi Champy]

Rightly said! It even gets to a point where you just want the kid to drive on and get it over with it. Speaking of your first, I'm quite curious as to how that one was different from the second.