The time will surely come for any child to have driving lessons. Rather than send them to the nearest driving school, parents may want to consider doing the lessons themselves as a way to connect with the child. Here are 4 ways to use driving lessons as a way to connect with a child and build and strengthen your relationship with them.
1- Practice Driving to Familiar Places
What better way to connect with your child than to teach them to drive on the roads where you have made the most memories? Have lessons along routes that you took to childhood weekly events or along any route to a place that made them happy at some point in their life/
2- Use the Lessons as One-on-One Time
Every parent and child needs to have one-on-one time, and driving lessons are the perfect way to do this. After all, your child will be driving for many years to come, so use the time to your best advantage. Don’t rush through the lesson or even put time restrictions on the time you spend in the car with your child. Instead of telling your child that you expect this to be used as quality time together, just let it fall naturally into the conversation. Perhaps a few minutes into the lesson, you can try saying something along the lines of “I really look forward to these driving lessons. It’s the perfect time for us to talk and open up to each other”.
3- Talk About the Lessons Even After They Are Over
There’s no reason why you have to forget about the lesson after the car is parked back in the driveway. Most likely, you’ll have some meaningful conversations while you are in the car teaching your child how to drive, so be sure to bring it up at a later time to let the child know just how much it meant to you. Don’t look at the lessons as something that you have to do, but instead, as something that you want to do, and you’ll find that both of you are getting the most out of the experience. Consider waiting until a few hours later or even the next day to let your child know that the opportunity to teach them meant a lot to you, and perhaps you’ll be pleasantly surprised when they say the same thing back to you.
4- Don’t Schedule Each and Every Lesson
This is one of the best ways to make your up-and-coming driver feel appreciated. Instead of scheduling lessons ahead of time, be spontaneous. Have an unexpected errand to run? Ask your child to do the driving! Is there suddenly a craving for a latte from the local coffee shop? Instead of driving yourself there, ask your child to be the one to get behind the wheel. You will both appreciate the extra time together and it can even give you some extra time to talk about whatever may be going on in your lives. These impromptu driving moments not only build valuable experience but also create meaningful bonding opportunities between you and your young driver.
