So, your child has reached the age where they're ready to learn to drive. Giving driving lessons yourself can save you a lot of money and could even be a great bonding experience, akin to teaching them to ride a bike. Or, it may be very stressful. Patience is going to be your biggest asset here. If you've got the patience sewn up, you now need to make sure you're prepared for the practicalities of teaching your child to drive. These tips should help you get ready. Good luck; before long, your darling child will be on the road.
Do You Have the Right Insurance?
You will need to check that your insurance policy covers your learner child. If you have minimal insurance, you may want to upgrade. A knock in your car is more likely for a learner than yourself.
Is Your Car up to the Job?
If you're overdue a service, now is the time to get it done. Make sure you get a thorough overhaul, checking brakes and making sure your tyre tread is up to scratch. This is your precious child you're teaching; you don't want any accidents.
Are You up to the Job?
Are you up to scratch with the rules of driving? If it's been a few decades since you passed, then you may not remember the exact knowledge you'll need to impart to your child. Consider going over your state's road user's handbook before you start. You need to recognise your bad habits and ensure you don't pass them on. Consider taking a free professional lesson paid for by the government. Check out Keys2Drive for more information.
Do You Know Where You're Going?
Think about where you are going to teach your child. Quiet roads, industrial estates and empty car parks are good places to start. When you feel your child is ready to progress to busier roads and areas, be sure to plot your route so that you can give good directions.
What Are You Going to Teach?
You'll need to know that you've covered everything needed to pass the test. Create a checklist and use it for every lesson to ensure that you've covered the essentials. Some things your child will pick up quickly, some they won't. Mark the things you need to go over again at the end of every lesson.
Before you even start with the practical driving lesson, you'll want to teach your child what they need to know about your car. The functions and warning lights of the dashboard are a good place to start. You want them to recognise any warnings and know how to respond. Next, make sure your child knows to perform the essential checks every time they get into the car. They need to remember to adjust their seat and mirrors if needed before they switch on the engine. Explain blind spots and give an example to ensure they are aware of the need for caution in certain circumstances.
For more information, contact a company like Roadwise Driver Training.
Share24 March 2016
My children are so smart that I struggle to deal with their questions. Having gifted and talented children brings a whole new range of challenges to parenting so I am starting a blog to connect to other parents with gifted and talented children. I want to talk about how we can stimulate their thirst for learning in and out of the school environment, as well as talking about the particular challenges for Australian parents of gifted and talented children navigating the school system. We can all learn from each other and help to make sure the education system works for our children too.
