How Confidence is Affected When Teaching Teens to Drive

The moment has arrived: Your teen has passed the test and received her learner's permit. While she may have been waiting for what feels like forever, you could use a little more time to adjust. Take a deep breath — you know you've raised a smart, focused, responsible individual; there's no reason why those skills won't translate into a safe experience on the road. Just remember: teens who are building their confidence behind the wheel can use all the help you can give.

Find wide, open spaces

Don't have a giant driveway? Seek out a vacant parking lot nearby, and have your teen navigate around the empty spaces until he feels comfortable. This comes in handy especially if he'll be learning to drive a stick shift for the first time — a busy highway is no place to learn how to use a clutch. When he feels ready, test him out on some of the quieter roads he's most familiar with.

There's no such thing as too much parallel parking

Even seasoned and skilled drivers have trouble with this one, as it's not always part of one's everyday routine. Still, it's an art that must be mastered for the sake of the road test. If you have two family vehicles, have your young driver practice parallel parking one behind the other. When she feels comfortable parking from the left-hand side, have her switch to the right.

For each negative, add two positives

If your teen makes a mistake that needs to be corrected — for example, he's driving too far over the line, or failing to use his turn signals — you should certainly let him know. However, too much criticism can be demoralizing. Be sure to point out the other things he's doing right, at double the rate. This will reinforce his good habits while mending the ones that need correction.

Go over worst-case scenarios

Accidents happen, even when you're being careful, and it's statistically likely that your teen driver will be involved in a fender-bender at some point. If she knows what to expect ahead of time, she'll be less likely to panic. Make sure she has a list of what steps to follow in an accident stored in the glove compartment at all times. Keep the phrasing simple, as in "Take photos of all vehicles involved" and "Contact an attorney if injured."

With these guidelines in mind, you and your teen driver can have a safe and wonderful bonding experience as you face this new transition. Happy travels!