If your kids are growing into teens you’re probably wondering where the time has gone. Whether it’s make up, parties or cars they’re into, these changes will take a bit of getting used to. Growing up can be a challenging time for both teens and parents, but it’s also an exciting time, where they’re gaining independence and preparing for their future.
There will be a lot of new things to deal with as a parent, and one of these might be supporting your teen as they learn to drive. Don’t panic if, at first, the idea of them being in charge of a car fills you with fear, because that’s natural. In this article, the PassSmart team share a few tips to help support your child as they spread their wings and get on the road to independence!
Create a savings plan
Driving lessons may be a rite of passage, but they certainly don’t come cheap. Help your child learn to budget by setting up a savings plan with them. Factor in their wages if they have a part time job, and take birthdays and Christmas’ into account before their 17th birthday.
Create a plan which allows them to put some money aside each month, and remind them what their goal is to make sure they keep it up. Not only will a financial plan help you meet the costs of driving, but it will also teach your teen valuable budgeting skills for the future.
Give them your advice, but don’t always expect them to take it
You’re bound to butt heads a few times as your teen moves into adulthood, but don’t be disheartened if they don’t take your advice all of the time. Most of us probably made questionable decisions when we were younger, so they’re bound to make a couple too.
Instead, support them through the milestones of growing up. Give them guidance when they ask for it, and make sure they know they can ask you for help. Driving is one thing which you really will know more about than them, so use their driving lessons as an opportunity to impart some of that wisdom you keep telling them you have!
Teaching your teen to drive: Avoiding in-car bust ups
The average learner driver requires 47 hours of tuition with a driving instructor and 22 hours of private practice with a family member or friend. Teaching your teen to drive can be a great way to save money, but you should be careful when adopting the teacher, student role.
Learning to drive with a friend or family member can be stressful for both parties, because you’ll probably both feel uneasy about them being behind the wheel.
If tensions start to rise, it’s a good idea to take a couple of minutes out to cool down. Remember that they find the situation just as odd as you do, so try not to panic if they do something wrong. Start off on small, quiet roads to help both of you get a bit more comfortable, and don’t put too much pressure on yourself as their teacher.
Finally…
Think back to when you were a teen and how you coped with learning to drive, disagreements with your parents and other pre-adult related stress. You were once their age too, whether they believe it or not!
Disclosure: I have been paid to publish this post which was written by a third party.
