As your children step out from beneath your shadow and head out into the world, there are a few skills that they're sure to find empowering and useful. Among these, the ability to drive must surely rank very highly.
If you want to help your children pass as quickly as possible, without suffering any undue stress, then you'll need to create the right learning environment. But exactly what does such a thing look like? There are a few things worth considering.
Lead by example
Throughout their lives, children take their cue from the example of those around them - and especially their parents. If you utter a particular word, or engage in a particular behaviour, then there's a reasonable chance you'll be mimicked by your children sooner or later.
This applies to all of your habits behind the wheel. As such, you'll want to think about how you drive, yourself. Keep your hands at the appropriate steering wheel locations. Don't tailgate, don't text and don't speed. Drive as though everything you're going to do is a model for your children's driving career - because it just might be!
Offer help
If you apply too much pressure, then your teenager might well resist. As such, so-called 'helicopter parenting' might be a poor strategy. A better one might be to make it known that you're available for help - whether it's as a partner for practice out on the road, or just as a sounding board for driving-related stress. You might even be able to offer practical guidance, or to answer practical questions. After all, if you've been driving for long enough, there's a good chance you'll have experience with whatever problem might be bothering your offspring.
Help them save
Financial help will be welcomed by many teenagers. After all, driving lessons can be expensive, even before we factor in the cost of the car. Offer to match their savings, rather than paying out arbitrarily. That way, they'll be motivated to develop good spending habits, themselves. You might also save money on the cost of insurance by getting your whole family on a single multi-car insurance policy.
Benefits of teaching them
If you're teaching your child to drive personally, then you'll be able to provide psychological and emotional support through what might be a difficult time. This doesn't mean that you need to coddle them. It's a better idea to remind them of exactly what they're working towards. Drivers will tend to enjoy greater freedom and better job prospects - plus, the experience of driving can be a source of fun, once you know what you're doing!
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