View Full Version : how do other parents do it???????
dragonfly
09-Jun-09, 21:53
co-drive their learner driver kids without cracking up that is???
everytime we go out we have a major bust up by the end of the road - but after that it does seem to get slightly better
Am I the only parent that is stamping furiously on the non-existent brakes and clutching onto the "jesus strap" for all my lifes worth??
co-drive their learner driver kids without cracking up that is???
everytime we go out we have a major bust up by the end of the road - but after that it does seem to get slightly better
Am I the only parent that is stamping furiously on the non-existent brakes and clutching onto the "jesus strap" for all my lifes worth??
dragonfly, you are bringing back some pretty horrible memories!!!! See all this grey hair - yup, driving lessons!!!!
This is the one area of parenting that absolutely escaped me. I loved all the rest. And both of my kids preferred to drive with me rather than their father, so I logged the majority of the hours of breath holding and non-existent break pumping.
Good luck.
Invisible
09-Jun-09, 22:07
For me it would be at least another 18 years before i woud be teaching a child of mine how to drive. and im already dreading it.
patience is the key and also trust, everyone who was with me had non existent brakes.
mind you i can legally co-drive someone now so until i experience it first hand i cant imagine what its like
I have 3 older kids all wanting me to be co-driver, so far I have managed to find numerous excuses for why I can't possibly take them out driving. Don't know how long I can keep it going. :)
I remember trying to teach a girlfriend to drive in my parents car out around loch calder...
...the car ended up in a ditch and had to be pulled out by tractor.
I dont know if she ever plucked up the courage to learn after that.
Funnily enough - I dont htink my parents ever said anything - at the time or since. Must have been the shock !
It's a hair-raising experience. Thankfully not something I have to worry about yet, my son is only 12.
I used to have some pretty long walks on driving lessons from my parents....
Mums lessons had the longest walks..
and the biggest screaming matches...
Mine can teach me to drive when theyre old enough, if they want.
webmannie
09-Jun-09, 23:17
I must be unique, My son is teaching me to drive (he has an easy job though)
Gosh Dragonfly what memories you are bringing back my Dad told me to get out of the car until I knew better and abandoned me at Littleferry in Golspie and made me walk home (Miles ) Well not really but still a bit from Village
My Mum was furious at him for doing it I arrived home beraggled howling and so upset But guess what I learned from it well eventually
I mind going to the pumps with 50p /10 shilling and get me enough petrol in my mini (which was all patched up with fibre Glass )to last a week
somethings never change like our kids learning to drive but petrol prices certainly has
Whitewater
09-Jun-09, 23:27
I had great fun teaching both my children to drive, but I never took them onto a public road until I felt they were competent and had confidence in their own ability. I was really proud of them both when they each passed their driving test first time.
Bobinovich
10-Jun-09, 00:03
I'm obviously stark raving bonkers but I'm actually looking forward to teaching my kids to drive :eek: still got a fair few years to wait yet tho'!
It's a hair-raising experience. Thankfully not something I have to worry about yet, my son is only 12.
You don`t have any hair either:lol:. Mik.
©Amethyst
10-Jun-09, 08:40
When I get the L-plates on our car, my OH just seems to let me get on with it. He was a bit jumpy at first, then shortly realised that I was capable enough of driving. I'm a really nervous driver (probably due to my first lesson with last instructor was a nightmare, some idiot in a red MG was overtaking an artic on a bend - missed a head on by inches) and the lessons are on hold.
I never asked him to put me on the insurance though until I felt ready to be in a car without my instructor - I think it helped that I took my time with that.
Was pulled over by the police in Inverness once, though. I hated the car I was driving then, couldn't get 2nd gear without going wobbly (which is why they stopped me), had to put some welly into it.
All part of the learning experience.
One place I won't get the L-plates out though is in Caithness. Done it once, never again. Was going at 60 just north of Latheron, still had people up the bumper which really puts me off and gets me all nervous.
Not had major bust ups over my driving yet. I think it's due to patience on both parts.
He needs to be patient because unlike him I'm not a professional driver. I needed patience to wait until I felt ready.
He probably prefers it when I drive though - I get road rage, but only when I'm not driving for some reason.
co-drive their learner driver kids without cracking up that is???
everytime we go out we have a major bust up by the end of the road - but after that it does seem to get slightly better
Am I the only parent that is stamping furiously on the non-existent brakes and clutching onto the "jesus strap" for all my lifes worth??
Im sat here giggling to myself!:lol:
Im teaching my eldest to drive at the moment & most of the time its with my eyes shut!!:eek:
we have yet to master the art of junctions the preferred options is to put your foot down & hope for the best.
They like to drive with the music loud too. so to turn up the cd player we drive on the verge as multi tasking isnt quite perfected yet[lol]
cuddlepop
10-Jun-09, 10:04
My X took me out after the driving instructor said I needed more practice.
I drove down to Uig which was fine,up the hill to his mothers,over cattle grids etc but failed to "remember" the wee wall down the side of the house and didnt brake soon enoegh.
Loads of sweary words and that was the end of me going in the car with him.:(
Even my daughter didnt like driving with her dad as all he did was shout.
Far better to stay with the driving instuctor.:D
dragonfly
10-Jun-09, 17:57
I'm obviously stark raving bonkers but I'm actually looking forward to teaching my kids to drive still got a fair few years to wait yet tho'!
you'll soon change your mind when you sit there having absolutely no control over what they are about to do Bob :eek:
Im sat here giggling to myself! Im teaching my eldest to drive at the moment & most of the time its with my eyes shut!! we have yet to master the art of junctions the preferred options is to put your foot down & hope for the best. They like to drive with the music loud too. so to turn up the cd player we drive on the verge as multi tasking isnt quite perfected yet
its junctions that fill me with terror too vanman, she seems to think that she has to cross the lines before coming to a halt [para] luckily I have set a ban on the radio/cd player and she's actually agreeing to it - mind you without the music you can hear the engine straining as she drops from 4th to 1st in one easy move or crunches the gear teeth as she's forgotten to put down the clutch pedal :lol:
Gene Hunt
10-Jun-09, 18:58
Soon as I read the first line of the first post on the thread the cold shivers started, I have twin girls of 17 and have been through this with both of them recently. Ended up with me happily paying for lessons for both of them. Mainly because I like living, dont appreciate near death experiences and I had bitten my fingernails up to my elbows. I actually asked one daughter if she liked me as she seemed to be on a mission to position the car in such a way that I would be rammed by traffic. I was starting to get worried she had seen my will.
Even getting them to learn about the clutch biting point was a chore. And whenever the car didnt do what they wanted it was the cars fault, the cars doing it, I did it right etc etc. Since then I have named my car Christine as they think its posessed by a demon.
This will be familiar to those of us who have gone through it ..
"Brake ... Brake .... Brake .... BRAKE ! .... BRAKE !! .. BRAKE !! .. BRAKE !! .. BRAKE !!! ... for gods sake when I say Brake I am not doing it for the practice" .. "Sorry Dad I got confused there between the brake and accelerator" .. "Really ?? ... didnt my ever loudening hints give you a clue which one to go for ??" .. Daughter cries, Dad feels guilty, Wife lays into me after speaking to Daughter.
"If you cant find it grind it eh dad ??" .. daughter grins .. "Break the gearbox and I will disown you, this is an Audi S4, a piece of precison engineering and not your boyfriends Vauxhall Cavalier that doubles in value when you fill it with fuel" .. Daughter cries, Dad feels guilty, Wife lays into me after speaking to Daughter.
Daughter has to be reminded that on the test looking into the mirror is not to be used to check your lipstick and there is a fairly good chance that the Examiner will not want to listen to Madness singing "I like Driving in my Car", it isnt even funny really. Daughter cries, Dad feels guilty, Wife lays into me after speaking to Daughter.
Wife takes Daughter for driving lesson. Apparently I have no patience and she is far more qualified to teach the girls than me. On entering the house after the lesson the wife says nothing, pour herself a drink, necks it one, apolgises for having a go at me before and suggests we either pay for lessons or report her to the Police as a potential serial killer.
If your going to be in South Wales around Aberdare then stay off the road between 6 and 7 on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Trust me on this.
feegilmour
10-Jun-09, 20:09
LOL gene hunt me giggling away reading this
my son past his test last december but hav 2 say i wasnt brave enough 2 co drive for him put him 2 instructer every week lol thankfully he passed quickly
good luck 2 your daughters and 2 your wallet
I started to give my son driving lessons a couple of years ago,we rowed almost constantly,he thought every move,including reverse,had to be done as quick as possible.He ended one arguement by telling my that I cant drive properly as A. Im a woman and B.to sensible so when we swapped drivers to go home I locked the doors and left him to walk (2 miles).Never gave him another lesson,think it should be left to instructers,they wont cheek them,and no stress for you!
dragonfly
10-Jun-09, 20:55
lol @ gene & shazzy :lol:
she has been with an instructor for a few months now and is needing more experience than being told what to do but its just not working with us as her parents doing it - we are lucky that a friend is willing to take her out and this seems to be working better, just a pity he's not available 24/7 - hopefully she'll soon be passed her test and I can forget the horrors of co-driving
Soon as I read the first line of the first post on the thread the cold shivers started, I have twin girls of 17 and have been through this with both of them recently. Ended up with me happily paying for lessons for both of them. Mainly because I like living, dont appreciate near death experiences and I had bitten my fingernails up to my elbows. I actually asked one daughter if she liked me as she seemed to be on a mission to position the car in such a way that I would be rammed by traffic. I was starting to get worried she had seen my will.
Even getting them to learn about the clutch biting point was a chore. And whenever the car didnt do what they wanted it was the cars fault, the cars doing it, I did it right etc etc. Since then I have named my car Christine as they think its posessed by a demon.
This will be familiar to those of us who have gone through it ..
"Brake ... Brake .... Brake .... BRAKE ! .... BRAKE !! .. BRAKE !! .. BRAKE !! .. BRAKE !!! ... for gods sake when I say Brake I am not doing it for the practice" .. "Sorry Dad I got confused there between the brake and accelerator" .. "Really ?? ... didnt my ever loudening hints give you a clue which one to go for ??" .. Daughter cries, Dad feels guilty, Wife lays into me after speaking to Daughter.
"If you cant find it grind it eh dad ??" .. daughter grins .. "Break the gearbox and I will disown you, this is an Audi S4, a piece of precison engineering and not your boyfriends Vauxhall Cavalier that doubles in value when you fill it with fuel" .. Daughter cries, Dad feels guilty, Wife lays into me after speaking to Daughter.
Daughter has to be reminded that on the test looking into the mirror is not to be used to check your lipstick and there is a fairly good chance that the Examiner will not want to listen to Madness singing "I like Driving in my Car", it isnt even funny really. Daughter cries, Dad feels guilty, Wife lays into me after speaking to Daughter.
Wife takes Daughter for driving lesson. Apparently I have no patience and she is far more qualified to teach the girls than me. On entering the house after the lesson the wife says nothing, pour herself a drink, necks it one, apolgises for having a go at me before and suggests we either pay for lessons or report her to the Police as a potential serial killer.
If your going to be in South Wales around Aberdare then stay off the road between 6 and 7 on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Trust me on this.
[lol][lol][lol]
You've got me in stiches.
Alice in Blunderland
10-Jun-09, 21:18
I have to say I never went out with Weesparkle until she had been driving with an instrutor for over six months and had passed her theory. ;)
I just sit,watch and hope for the best.
We got a small Fiat for her Birthday/Christmas and this saves the BMW getting the crunch treatment and also the insurancce was a lot less for the little car.
I find though that the kids are taught differently than when I sat my test. :confused
My son got over the problem of shouting Brake BRAKE!!!! By hiring a dual control car from Arnold Clarks only £10ph and he said it was a pleasure to take out his 18 going on 28 year old daughter out knowing that the dual controls were there if he needed them, he said proudly he never had to use them.
skinnydog
10-Jun-09, 21:57
Some of these stories are so funny. Any time my poor suffering father took me out it ended up a disaster, him shouting, me crying so we didnt do it that often and I remember it costing me absolutely hundreds of pounds (£600) I think and that was over 25 years ago so that gives you an idea of how bad I was. Still am......
cuddlepop
11-Jun-09, 09:09
Some of these stories are so funny. Any time my poor suffering father took me out it ended up a disaster, him shouting, me crying so we didnt do it that often and I remember it costing me absolutely hundreds of pounds (£600) I think and that was over 25 years ago so that gives you an idea of how bad I was. Still am......
In all I think it costs my daughter/us over £2000 so start saving kids its very expensive.:eek:
dragonfly
11-Jun-09, 09:14
In all I think it costs my daughter/us over £2000 so start saving kids its very expensive.:eek:
yep, prices are between £25-£30 a lesson! luckily she's been paying for them herself but we did buy her 5 lessons for her birthday - certainly not cheap hence her getting out and about as much as possible between lessons to gain experience
I have to admit that she is getting a lot better but she still terrifies me with some of her moves :lol: (yes she has read this thread and I've now got the bruises to show for it)
I must admit that after having a lesson with my Mum in my younger days-where she ran out of the car screaming "we are all going to die" I always asked my dad after that.When my sons turn came I was dreading it but actually it was fine!He is such a good driver and only once was I a bit nervous but that was because his instructor had lent us his car to take out for lessons and I was terrified my son would crash it when I was in charge :eek: he didnt though and is now a fully fledged driver with his own wee car and so far so good :) x
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