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YahooI've known this day was coming since the first day I held my son in my arms. The day he would start driving. I don't know about other mothers, but this is sending me right to the edge of sanity. Since the first day (three weeks ago), I have had a constant twitch in my left eye. I don't think it is a coincidence...I think it's most likely an outward physical manifestation of my subconscious fears and anxieties over my son driving. I just made all that up, but you know what I mean, right? It's what the doctor will put on my chart, just before they take me away in a straight jacket.
The best part is how my daughter keeps reminding me that in a little over a year, she'll be old enough to get her permit too. Oh great! By then I'll probably have twitches in both my eyes. Honestly though, how do parents do it?
The truth is, it's not JUST that I'm a crazy, over protective mother. When I was in sixth grade, my step-brother was killed in a car accident...and up until that time in my life, I didn't even realize that anyone other than 'old people' could die. I've since realized, that just about every senior class has at least one death caused by an automobile accident.
Years later, when I was a senior in high school, that person would be the girl who sat in front of me in accounting class. Then, about three years ago, my very close friend's daughter was dating a boy in her senior class...and he would be the one. So, in my world, there is no pretending that these things don't happen.
Even after all this, there is still a small corner of my brain that can still think rationally, and I know that both of my kids are probably going to be just fine. But, that doesn't seem to stop me from worrying. And it hasn't helped one bit with the twitch in my eye.
So, this post is my quest to try and find out how other moms cope with the stress of having a teen driver. It's 2am here in crazy land, and both my kids are sleeping...I sure hope there are some moms out there blogging about this, I'd like to go to bed by 3am.
Well, this certainly isn't helping...
Alive at 25 a Wake-Up Call for Young Drivers
National Highway Transportation Safety Administration statistics present a grim reality in which teenagers and young adults die in car accidents at twice the rate of the rest of the population. We all know teens seem to live on a magic youth potion that makes them feel invincible, and if I’m being Polly Positive I’ll acknowledge that this trait can serve them well by giving them confidence, high energy and even motivation. But the Nancy Negative in me knows that it also results in insanely crazy behavior. My dad lovingly refers to this and many other teenage incongruities as scrambled-egg brains.
All this is quite relevant to me right now, as I have a 15-year-old son who’s currently learning to drive. We recently attended an Alive at 25 course together that was an intense attitude-adjusting reality check in the form of a 4.5-hour defensive-driver course.
This is from Anything Parenting...
With the increase of accidents by teen drivers, one has to ask themselves if it is wise to limit not only cell phone use, but any distracting activity. Changing channels on the radio or talking to a passenger can cause lack of attention to the road. Parents who have children or teens that drive need to explain the consequences of inattentive driving. This is no longer a minor occurrence, teen drivers are being killed on the roads every minute.
Okay, this is more like what I need. Tips For Teenage Drivers
One of the major sources of stress for the parent of a teenager is the day they take control of the wheel! Here are some helpful hints to talk over with your teen before you hand over those keys!
Hey, it's BlogHer's very own AskPatty (I'll betcha she doesn't have a twitch in her eye.)
Teen Drivers: Track them or trust them?...
Maybe we need to take a closer look at the entire culture of driving. Is it time to raise the driving age? Or require permits for a longer period of time? Are teens mature enough to handle the privilege? I do think it varies by individual. But how many parents will refuse to let their teen drive until the teen is truly ready? I think it should be the parents’ responsibility to decide whether or not their teen is ready to drive alone.
Well, that's all I got for tonight. It's 2:30am now, and I need to get this post up while it's still Friday somewhere in the world. If you happen to be reading this post, and you have a remedy for 'twitchy eye syndrome', I'd love to hear it.
Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
CatherineBlogs, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election Blog
Oh, I feel your pain...
Karoli January 26, 2008 - 2:54am
My oldest son didn't get his license until he was 22 and in the Army. My middle son got his license at my insistence on his 18th birthday. I insisted because he's a drummer and I was tired of rearranging our lives for his never-ending list of gigs and rehearsals. Plus, he's commuting to college and I sure didn't want to drive the 35 miles each way.
So now he has his own car with all the safety bells and whistles. A nice solid car. And he's a careful driver. But this week, with all the rain and flooding on the freeways, I've been a nervous wreck, because it's not just HIM, it's all the other insane California drivers out there on the freeways that scare me.
I'm learning to employ breathing relaxation techniques. And prayer. Prayer helps a lot....but I'll still be glad when I can watch him drive away without that tiny little bit of panic in the back of my mind.
karoli (odd time signatures)