Nervous breakdown!

[kfay]

My 16 year old daughter just passed her driver's test....oh how I was hoping she would FAIL! This is not something I am looking forward to.

 

[Tbone]

Tell her there is another test & let your husband deal with it. Or tell her she has to buy here own car. Good luck

 

[Karlynn]

Is this your first teen driver? I recommend sitting down and writing out a set of rules and all of you signing it. We did it with our kids. Had it effective for X amount of months. Otherwise - they will do silly things and when you find out they say "But you never said not to..."

Our rules included - no listening to the radio for 2 mo. (Kids get carried away, start singing and dancing behind the wheel)

No one else in the car for 1 mo. After that no more than 1 passenger for 1 mo.

Your state may have it's own laws for teen drivers. Ours did - but it helped to fill in the blanks.

 

[kfay]

Yes, it is our first driver. The contract isn't a bad idea...she is only allowed by law to carry one unrelated minor in the car for 6 months. She also can't drive past 9 pm for 6 months. These laws don't help with my nerves at all. I'm just waiting for her to get in trouble, that will be the first thing I take away!

 

[hensylee]

she will be just fine. remember your own first days? bet your mom was afraid, too. I really wasn't. My children took driving in school so were well prepared. they are all very good drivers. your sweetie will be, too. tell her congratulations from an oldie.

 

[Cris N]

I feel your anxiety. I had 3 of them. It aged me

 

[Bina]

Even though the legal age here is 16....I was 17 when I got my license, and my daughter was also 17.
Rub it in well that "driving is a privilege" and good luck with your nerves.

 

[ponygirlmom]

Maybe some perspective will help. I would have given anything if my daughter had been able to get her license at 16. She has some physical challenges, and after a lot of hard work and countless hours on the road got her license at 18.5. There are many parents who wish they had your "problem"! Be proud that your daughter has reached this important milestone along with her peers.

I understand that some people are more scared of some things than others. I am not nervous when my daughter drives, but when she recently flew alone for the first time, I was a wreck. My little girl, walking through an airport alone! (Notice that I'm the only one who thinks of her as a "little girl"; everyone else sees a young woman returning from a job as a camp counselor.)

Having a driver has been a lifesaver for me! I am having trouble handling the heat (it's in the hundred teens now here) and she does almost all the driving. I can send her to the store. (Teens LOVE to drive anywhere.) She can drive herself to work, and this year she will drive herself to school. What a break for me!

So enjoy your own private chauffeur. Relax and read a book or chat on the phone while she does the work. Or send her out to do boring and annoying errands while you do things that are more important or fun. This can be a great new chapter in both of your lives!

 

[Ross]

Been there 3 times myself. All you can do is put your trust in faith and hope for the best.

 

[hall]

Been there X2 too. I was always so glad when I knew they were in. I know it is hard. Yep, lay down the rules. I did that too. Good luck to you.

 

[njean]

Ahhh welcome to the parents of teenage drivers Kimmie!

I remember when our 15 year old step-daughter was living with us & we bought her her first little clunker (an old Pacer with wheels! ).

Luckily, I think I could run faster than the car could at it's max speed & you had to climb in the driver's window to get in because the door would not always open! She used to say that she felt like "Uncle Buck" whenever she drove it!!! And as for passengers, not to worry.....no one really wanted to ride with her!

 

[Bina]

Norma, good point.
Always make sure that the young'uns don't have a cool car to zoom around in.
My kid got stuck with my old Ford Tempo 4 door geek-mobile.
No Camaro for her. Ha Ha.

 

[CThrock]

I remember a bimper sticker that said "GET IN, SIT DOWN & SHUT UP! At first I thought that was a terrible bumper sticker, but then I rode with my daughter and now I just laugh because it was scary and I was speechless. So the bumper sticker must of been from a mother of a teenage driver.
She'll do fine Kim, if I'm still alive anyone can do it!

 

[swim mom]

my oldest is 18 and the scariest thing was leaving her in Maryland with a manual transmission car she could hardly drive when we moved to Florida! Our only automatic went with us but our friends she was living with said she could drive one of their automatics and they would work more on the clutch. She did fine but each day that she called us before she left for school or when she arrived my heart dropped to the floor. I was sure she had been in an accident! She is actually a wonderful driver but we made her and her friends who would ride with her sign a contract. She is VERY trustworthy so for us the main reason was so she could use us as the "out" when she didn't feel comfortable or when people acted up in the car. It wasn't her it was her strict parents. It is much easier for them to make us the "bad guy". I am perfectly happy being the bad guy! My second daughter just turned 16 last week but she is refusing to get her license!!

 

[KAJ]

The insurance is outrageous. One year ago, we were told by our insurance company that our 16 year old son was automatically covered with a Learner's Permit. Now we are told he was not covered that entire time . Now that he is covered, it is will cost about $3,000.00 per year.

When he does get his license, we will see if he can be covered for only one car (my 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis). BTW, the car now has 218,000 miles on it. I still drive it to work every day (78 miles round trip). I bought in Aug of 2001 with 25,000 miles on it. It has been a great car.

Karl