If you have teenagers in the house then one of the best things that you could do for them as they get older is get them learning to drive. Plenty of people go through life without ever having a car, but that doesn’t mean that your teenager should be one of them. If you have a sensible child, who grows into a sensible teenager with their head screwed on, you know that they are not going to take advantage of learning to drive.
You know that they will see it as a skill that they can grow into over time. If you want your son or daughter to grow up and be a safe driver then the best time to lay the groundwork is right now, because once you have taught them how to drive you can take them to the used car dealers to buy their first run around car. Here are some of the ways that you can ensure that you get your teenager ready to drive and feeling confident on the road.
- Make sure that you are a good driver. If you want to show your teenager that the time is now for them to learn to drive, then you need to be a good driver yourself, not getting in to distracted driving. If you’re the person that tailgates or swerves between lanes or yells at other drivers, your teenager is going to think that is normal behavior and you already know that it’s not! Model the behavior that you want your teenager to copy, because they will end up being as sensible behind the wheel as you are.
- Teach them how to properly maintain the car. If you’re going to teach your child to learn to drive, then you need to teach them how to change the oil, gas, and change a tire. They also need to understand how to monitor the performance of the car to know what strange noises would sound like.
- Encourage them to get a job. If you want to encourage your teenager to learn how to drive, then encouraging them to get a job is actually a really good idea. If they are going to have a car, and have the responsibility of being a driver, then it would help them to have the responsibility of knowing how to pay their own petrol and ensuring they can cover their own costs. You can, of course, continue to contribute, but make sure that they understand the value of the car. When they have to pay for it, they are far more likely to look after it.
- Get them reading the driving manual. The manual will be essential if your teenager wants to pass the driving test on the first try. Helping them to brush up on the rules of the road will help them to understand exactly what they need to know before they sit in front of a driving instructor and have to perform. You can help them to revise and get some pop quizzes to help.
