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Post by twoboyzmom on Sept 7, 2014 15:36:59 GMT
My son turned 15 in June. And has yet to push the Issue with drivers ed. Even tho his friends have started or already done it. He only has one friend who drives with his license and he doesn't even go to his school. We've brought it up a few times and he kinda shrugs it off. I'm sure not going g to do all the leg work. If he wants to sign up he can find out where to do so. And honestly I'm ok with it lol.
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Post by Goldynn on Sept 7, 2014 15:40:50 GMT
My daughter had no interest either. She finally got a learners permit and took lessons between her jr and sr year, but she never followed through and got her license and now the permit has expired. So she's 18 and working and bumming rides whenever she can from everybody. I don't get it, just get your license already! Kids!
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Post by gar on Sept 7, 2014 15:45:19 GMT
I think it can be daunting for them tbh. In the UK they have to be 17 anyway and the idea of being in charge of a vehicle can seem overwhelming at that age so I can easily imagine it being the same, if not more so, at 15.
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Post by twoboyzmom on Sept 7, 2014 15:45:25 GMT
Yea it's weird. Lol. Although honestly I can't afford to add him to ins right now anyway...but still.
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Post by winogirl on Sept 7, 2014 15:46:02 GMT
I didn't get my driver's license until I was 29. Just had no interest in driving. I took the bus, walked or got a ride. I had to get a car when my job moved to a non-bus-friendly location.
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Post by myshelly on Sept 7, 2014 15:46:20 GMT
I look at it a lot like swimming lessons when they're little.
It is an essential life skill, like math or reading.
You must learn. It's not optional.
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ReneeH20
Full Member
Posts: 452
Jun 28, 2014 16:00:48 GMT
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Post by ReneeH20 on Sept 7, 2014 15:51:11 GMT
I was surprised that so many of my kids friends had no interest in driving. Both my kids took drivers ed at 15. One got her license a few months after she turned 16. The other was almost 17 (MN state govt shut down really backed up the driving tests). Most of their friends were more interested by 17.
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Post by gar on Sept 7, 2014 15:51:13 GMT
I look at it a lot like swimming lessons when they're little. It is an essential life skill, like math or reading. You must learn. It's not optional. I agree but does it have to be at 15, in your opinion? Or can they wait a few years?
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Post by myshelly on Sept 7, 2014 15:53:02 GMT
I look at it a lot like swimming lessons when they're little. It is an essential life skill, like math or reading. You must learn. It's not optional. I agree but does it have to be at 15, in your opinion? Or can they wait a few years? I think it should be as early as possible. To continue the swimming comparison, my kids started swim lessons at 6 months. They'll start drivers ed at 15. But it's pretty much the norm here to get your own car for your 16th birthday.
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Post by twoboyzmom on Sept 7, 2014 16:02:11 GMT
My feeling is that at 15-16 half of them aren't mature enough to handle a moving vehicle. I know part of it is my so is lazy...so having to find out all the details on his own is partly why he hasn't bothered I'm sure.
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Post by gracieplusthree on Sept 7, 2014 16:16:52 GMT
well my youngest ds still doesnt have his permit or license and he turned 16 in April. Here you have to have your permit 6 months before you can get your license.. He really has little interest, thing is we live on a farm and he's always driving tractors.no license needed to drive them, even on 4lane hwy which he also often does. he is a GOOD driver because of having grown up on a tractor,but I think it has taken some of the allure of driving out of him LOL.. I'm leaving it up to him, doesnt bother me to not have him driving, he knows I wont let him drive around in the cars---he even has a jeep cherokee that would pretty much be his(in my name,but he'd be driving it) and he loves that jeep so you'd think that would *drive* him to want his license..but nope..doesn't care.
his girlfriend has her license LOL, she's still on restricted so cant drive with him in the car but even picking at him about that doesnt make him care,so I've stopped worrying about it. He'll get it eventually, eventually I'll make him
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scorpeao
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,521
Location: NorCal USA
Jun 25, 2014 21:04:54 GMT
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Post by scorpeao on Sept 7, 2014 16:17:40 GMT
My dd was the same way. She was 16 when she got her permit, and 17 when she finally got her license. I quit driving her everywhere if it wasn't convenient for me. Once all her driving friends graduated she got her butt in gear and got her license. Back when I was a teen we got our licenses ON our 16th birthday. Kids no longer do that. I think it's because parents now taxi their kids everywhere...we rode our bikes!
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Post by KikiPea on Sept 7, 2014 16:20:10 GMT
My niece is 22. She never took Driver's Ed and still does not have her license.
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stittsygirl
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,580
Location: In the leaves and rain.
Jun 25, 2014 19:57:33 GMT
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Post by stittsygirl on Sept 7, 2014 16:24:35 GMT
I was 18 when I got mine. I took drivers ed in high school, but had little interest in getting the license then. My own daughter just got hers, and she's almost 18. I think my son will be more motivated to get his at sixteen though.
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theshyone
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,411
Jun 26, 2014 12:50:12 GMT
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Post by theshyone on Sept 7, 2014 16:30:19 GMT
Within a day of her 14 birthday my daughter was in and written and passed her learners exam. The last two months have been hell trying to get her approved for her medical condition. It affects her in no way medically, but the first medical wasn't enough, the second medical wasn't enough. I'm mad enough to SCREAM. They'll give drunks that kill people liscenses but not a kid that would have an adult with her anyway.
She is so frustrated by it.
With our graduated liscense programs every delay is then passed on to the next level. So frustrating. My kid wants to learn and isn't allowed.
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Post by freecharlie on Sept 7, 2014 16:31:02 GMT
Ds is 13. We've already looked into drivers ed and he will take it between 14.5 and 15, finishing it by 15 so he can get his permit n on the day he turns 15 and his license at 16.
This is what most kids do out here, bit we live in a rural area and there is no public transportation
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Post by scrapqueen01 on Sept 7, 2014 17:05:52 GMT
A friend of mine didn't get his license until his late 20's. His mother wouldn't let him get his license and he just didn't bother after he moved away at 18. He started dating a girl who let him drive her car even without a license. He got pulled over for speeding and her car was towed. After he paid over $400 in fines and fees he decided it was time to get it. A month later his license was suspended because he didn't pay all the fines.
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Post by underwatermama on Sept 7, 2014 17:17:23 GMT
OP I could have written your post. My DS will be 16 in Nov. and still isn't interested. He did look at classes but didn't want to do over the summer and then decided the perfect day for him to do it in the fall is at the same time as his brother's karate class. Um, no...I'm not going to kill myself by having them double booked just because he thinks it's perfect for him. I told him to look at Saturday mornings and he's stalled out again. I did mention that if he doesn't get it together, his younger brother may end up driving him to school instead of the other way around. LOL
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Post by hop2 on Sept 7, 2014 17:23:51 GMT
Drivers ed the rules, laws and educational part, not the driving is required in the high school curriculum here. They also take the state required written test for free at school and get the official transcript for it. No students do not have to drive, never have to get a license, or a permit, but the have to learn the basic rules of roadway safety in order to graduate. I totally agree with this even if my children were never going to drive. Knowing the rules and rights of the roadways can only help them to remain safer in their lives wether as passengers, pedestrians, or as drivers.
For my daughters year of kids they were all frothing at the bit to get their permits and eventually their licenses. Most of them getting it on their birthdays if possible. In my sons year not so much at all, many are waiting. My son will be about 2 months late getting his because for some reason, some snafu in the guidance office he has dr ed scheduled 2nd marking period and it will end after his birthday. We discussed the issue and decided not to bother the guidance office with switching it, because DS doesn't really care. It won't be the end all or be all of the situation. He will drive when he is ready, and not before. My DD had DR ed in the fall, passed the written test and then waited long past her eligible april birthday until the next summer break to do her required driving classes. There is not a rush, the young adult needs to feel comfortable taking the wheel of the vehicle or it won't be much good.
Eventually your son will show some interest in it, or he isn't ready to do it.
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uksue
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,500
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Jun 25, 2014 22:33:20 GMT
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Post by uksue on Sept 7, 2014 17:34:11 GMT
I agree but does it have to be at 15, in your opinion? Or can they wait a few years? I think it should be as early as possible. To continue the swimming comparison, my kids started swim lessons at 6 months. They'll start drivers ed at 15. But it's pretty much the norm here to get your own car for your 16th birthday. I think think this highlights how different life and expectations are in different countries! my son is 19 in November and passed his practical driving test 2 months ago. I do have an old but serviceable car he could drive, but we just can't afford the £4,000 a year it would take to add him to my insurance! I know he is really sad about it. I don't know anyone in my circle of family or friends who has been able to give their children a car for their 17 th birthday ( the legal age for driving here.) i also dont know many 16 year old buys who I would have trusted to be out driving at that age. Maybe that's because it's not the norm here, though? I am hoping it will motivate him to get a job though, as he finished college in June and decided Uni isn't for him. He has only had a short stint working at 'Next' since then.
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LouWho
Full Member
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Jul 9, 2014 0:52:15 GMT
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Post by LouWho on Sept 7, 2014 17:37:24 GMT
One of my sisters boys ( young man really) went off to a 4 year college not knowing how to drive or even how to ride a bike. He just has no interest. I can see if he were a city kid, but nope. At least at school there is a bus system for him, but there is no public transportation to get him home for vacations. I was itching to get my license as soon as possible!
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Post by jumperhop on Sept 7, 2014 17:42:22 GMT
This has been a big topic around here lately as my almost 16 year old has shown no interest in driving. My Mother convinced me that I need to let her be 16 and do what the other 16 year olds do. So we signed her up for drivers ed a few days ago. I am still not convinced she is mature enough to have a licence but figured there was no harm in taking drivers ed. You have to start somewhere and she doesn't have to get her licence right when she turns 16. I still see her as my little 4 year old who said when I asked her what she wants to be when she grows up, "I don't want to drive because it scary." Jen
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Deleted
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May 18, 2024 16:18:44 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2014 17:47:23 GMT
I think it should be as early as possible. To continue the swimming comparison, my kids started swim lessons at 6 months. They'll start drivers ed at 15. But it's pretty much the norm here to get your own car for your 16th birthday. I think think this highlights how different life and expectations are in different countries!my son is 19 in November and passed his practical driving test 2 months ago. I do have an old but serviceable car he could drive, but we just can't afford the £4,000 a year it would take to add him to my insurance! I know he is really sad about it. I don't know anyone in my circle of family or friends who has been able to give their children a car for their 17 th birthday ( the legal age for driving here.) i also dont know many 16 year old buys who I would have trusted to be out driving at that age. Maybe that's because it's not the norm here, though? I am hoping it will motivate him to get a job though, as he finished college in June and decided Uni isn't for him. He has only had a short stint working at 'Next' since then. I truly don't believe it's the norm in most of the United States for a child to automatically be given a car when they are 16. We have a huge population. The average income is in the $50,000 range.
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Post by cadoodlebug on Sept 7, 2014 17:47:31 GMT
My DS was the same way. It wasn't until after he turned 16 and all his friends got their license that he decided he was ready. He has always been on the cautious side and I think getting his license a little later helped in the long run. He's 28 now and has never had an accident and only one ticket ~ for rolling through a stop sign. Your DS will let you know when he's ready.
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Post by jojam on Sept 7, 2014 17:49:15 GMT
I didn't want to drive. I was scared. In my state, you can get your licence and drive (without an adult) at 14 during the day. The day after my 14th birthday, my dad brought home the driver's manual and said, "You need to study. I'm taking you to take the written test next week." It never occurred to me that I could fail the test and not have to drive. I passed, my dad taught me to drive, and that was the end of that.
ETA: I asked my dad if I should sign up for driver's ed. as it was offered at my high school for free. He said, 'No. I'll teach you how to drive and do a better job.' He traveled as a part of his job and was a good driver. Since he wasn't really 'book smart' and couldn't help me with school work, (I passed both my parents in math and science in 7th grade), this was a skill he excelled at and could teach me.
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Post by gar on Sept 7, 2014 17:50:47 GMT
I think it should be as early as possible. To continue the swimming comparison, my kids started swim lessons at 6 months. They'll start drivers ed at 15. But it's pretty much the norm here to get your own car for your 16th birthday. I think think this highlights how different life and expectations are in different countries! my son is 19 in November and passed his practical driving test 2 months ago. I do have an old but serviceable car he could drive, but we just can't afford the £4,000 a year it would take to add him to my insurance! I know he is really sad about it. I don't know anyone in my circle of family or friends who has been able to give their children a car for their 17 th birthday ( the legal age for driving here.) i also dont know many 16 year old buys who I would have trusted to be out driving at that age. Maybe that's because it's not the norm here, though? I am hoping it will motivate him to get a job though, as he finished college in June and decided Uni isn't for him. He has only had a short stint working at 'Next' since then. uksue - the insurance is crazy isn't it! My DDs were lucky with cars because DH is an instructor and it was just lucky that when they passed their tests Dh was due to get a new 'work' car so they had his old one. They had VERY high mileage but he had been the only owner from new so we knew all there was to know about it, knew it had been looked after etc and they made great first cars. I'm sure it's conditioning but letting a child of 15 drive, with all the responsibility it entails would scare me stiff! It's not much better at 17 it has to be said but....those couple of extra years help a little bit!
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Nink
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,947
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Jul 1, 2014 23:30:44 GMT
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Post by Nink on Sept 7, 2014 17:57:40 GMT
My DS is 29 and still doesn't have a license. He doesn't want the expense of car payments, insurance, maintenance etc. he takes the bus or rides his bike everywhere he goes alone or his friends all give him a ride if they want him to go somewhere with them. Seems to be working for him.
Eta: when I was growing up we were not allowed to even start thinking about driving until we turned 18. My dad did not feel that 15-16 year olds were mature enough to drive. I think he only gave into being 18 because he didn't really have a say at that point. Lol.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Post by pjynx on Sept 7, 2014 18:03:18 GMT
My dd was chomping at the bit to take driver's training. In Michigan, they have to be 14 yrs & 8 months to take it. She would've been eligible in Jan/Feb, during one of the worst winters we've ever had. There was no way I wanted her behind the wheel for the first time during that. She was very mad that I made her wait till the snow was gone.
Now she's taken it, and hates it. Really tries to get out of driving whenever I want her to practice. She does fine, it just makes her very nervous. I don't particularly like driving either, but to me, it's just a fact of life. DH & I both work outside the home (and not particularly close to home), so when she needs to get to things (she's on the golf team but school doesn't provide transportation, or participating in after school clubs, or when she gets a job), dh & I have to take time off work to drive her. It would make our lives so much easier when she can drive herself.
Pam
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Post by Basket1lady on Sept 7, 2014 18:11:09 GMT
DS is 17 1/2 and just got his license a few weeks ago. He had his permit for about 18 months, but wasn't comfortable driving. We took it slow, but about 6 months ago, I had him drive me everywhere If he was in the car, he was driving.
It's really the inconvenience of waiting for me to pick him up that spurred him on. Between football camp and football practice this summer, he spent a lot of time waiting for me. I waited for him to call me before going to pick him up, as football practice never ends at the same time and twice I waited over 2 hours past the expected end time. Nope, not gonna do that again. Just yesterday, he drove to altar server training, drove to pick up a few groceries at the store for me, and then drove over to Lowe's to see if there was any scrap plywood left (for a spirit project for football.) He doesn't have his own car, but we share mine. When we get the new van, he will get my old van.
Now that he's driving, he likes the independence. He says it makes him feel older and more grown up. He has Asperger's and we weren't sure if he would ever be at the point of driving. It took him longer than his peers, but he got there.
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lesley
Drama Llama
My best friend Turriff, desperately missed.
Posts: 7,179
Location: Scotland, Scotland, Scotland
Jul 6, 2014 21:50:44 GMT
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Post by lesley on Sept 7, 2014 18:16:33 GMT
DD is 19 and not too bothered about learning, but DS can't wait. He will be 17 in December, and wants a course of lessons for Christmas and his birthday. Again though, even if he passes first time, I know we couldn't afford to put him on my insurance.
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