I was in the kitchen, up to my elbows baking cookies.
I went to the fridge for the milk and discovered the jug was almost empty. Darn, here I was with dough in the bowl ready to move forward and I was a mess, in no condition to head out to any store.
And then I remembered my secret weapon. I called to my son and asked him to run out to the store. He was thrilled. He grabbed the car keys and headed off before the request was out of my mouth!
He had just received his driver's licence and any opportunity to drive was exciting. Ah, one of the benefits of having teenage drivers in the house is that they will run the most banal of errands with joy. According to ICBC, every day in B.C., 129 teens get their learner's licence. With students out for summer break, that number peaks in our province as teens are eager to spend their free time learning to drive and becoming more independent.
What is the process your teen has to go through to get his licence? Step one is to get his learner's, which he can get on or after his 16th birthday. He needs you to sign consent, he needs to pass the knowledge test at an ICBC driver licensing office and also pass a vision screening test.
The next step is the novice licence, which he can get after one year of practice, as long as he passes the road test.
Finally, after having had an "N" for at least 24 months of safe driving with no prohibitions (or possibly 18 months, if he took an ICBC-approved driver training course in his "L" stage and was a safe driver during that period), he can book, take and pass the road test for his regular driver's licence.
ICBC offers good tips for parents of teens learning how to drive.
Once he has his learner's he can now get behind the wheel with a qualified driver. That is likely you. So brush up on the rules of the road, drop any bad driving habits and learn about the steps he needs to take to make it until he is fully licensed. ICBC has a very helpful website for both teens and parents.
When you first start, choose times with minimal traffic, but as he gets more skilled he needs to learn how to drive in all conditions and all sorts of roads.
Giving him lessons as a gift is a good idea. The instructors have the skills needed to teach your teen. You may not be the best person to be instructing your teen. In an ICBC survey, 29 per cent of parents surveyed believed their teens had picked up a bad driving habit from them. The most common habits were speeding, not coming to a complete stop, impatience, eating while driving and not shoulder checking. Survey respondents also revealed that if they could teach their teen over again, they would enroll them in professional driving lessons.
But, besides his lessons he will benefit from as much practice as possible. So when you are out with him allow him to take the wheel. Listen to him when he tells you what his instructor said and if either you or he are getting too emotional, have him pull over so you can both calm down.
Good luck to both of you.
Kathy Lynn is a professional speaker and author of Vive la Différence, Who's In Charge Anyway? and But Nobody Told Me I'd Ever Have to Leave Home. Sign up for her informational newsletter at parentingtoday.ca.
