Losing control

Attention mothers and fathers: Your little baby is growing up. And there's nothing you can do about it. You can, however, help them grow up responsibly by enrolling them in drivers ed.

We know how it is. It seems like yesterday that your little one was driving you crazy with a random tantrum on the floor of the local supermarket. Now, they're moving their focus away from driving you crazy and toward driving their friends to the local mall. How dare they?

How dare they want to grow up? How dare they want to get behind the wheel? How dare they want to be responsible adults?

Letting your child get behind the wheel is a big step towards letting them grow up. Unfortunately, it doesn't come without major concerns, even with the prospect of a drivers ed program.

Does your child truly understand the responsibility that comes with driving a car? There's only one way to find out. Ask them.

You'll be surprised. Teenagers know more than you give them credit for. If your teenager is anything like most teenagers today, they spend a lot of their time on the Internet. So when it comes to such a big milestone as getting their license, we're willing to be that they've done their research. They've likely spent time on drivers ed websites. They've likely visited the Department of Transportation site to confirm the state requirements for getting their learner's permit. And they've likely talked to other new drivers in school about their experiences in drivers ed as a first-time driver.

You were once a teenager. Remember drivers ed? Remember how exciting driving for the first time was for you? Now, remember how scary it was?

Teenagers are looking for support. They want you to be as excited about them getting their license as they are. When it comes down to it, there's no reason why you shouldn't be.

Yes, you have concerns about their safety. But if you enroll your teenager in a drivers ed program, there's no reason to panic. Drivers ed courses are designed to help keep your child safe on the road. In fact, your teenager will learn much more in a drivers ed program than they would from you. That's because drivers ed programs are designed to communicate all of the latest rules and laws of the road.

Face it. It's been a while since you've taken drivers ed. If you're like most adults, you've probably developed a lot of bad habits since you got your driver's license. Rolling through stop signs. Speeding. Running yellow lights when you should slow down. Drivers ed offers your teenager a fresh start to learn the rules of the road from scratch. They don't have any bad habits because they haven't been behind the wheel yet.

You might be losing control of your child but the most important thing is that they stay in control of the road. So enroll them in a reputable drivers ed program and put your worries to rest. They may be growing up, but it's up to you to help them grow up responsibly.