We didn't actually go into the tennis courts. The metal link fence was enough to arrest the momentum of the car once we went over the curb. The car wasn't going very fast, and my foot sort of found the brake. The fence retained a nice, bumper sized indent, and it remained bent in effigy long after my mother turned to me and said, "I am never doing this again."

She made the decision not to teach me to driver herself, and I respect that. People have different personalities, and high-strung worry warts might not be the best instructors to have beside you when you're negotiating a ton of machinery. Did she send me to driver's training school? No. She sent me down the street to my grandparent's house. My grandfather is a calm, soothing individual who takes things in stride. He has a good driving record, and we developed a routine of going through dos and don'ts each time before I turned that tiny key in the ignition. We abandoned the high school parking lot and found an even more deserted strip of asphalt for my earliest attempts.

Is your teenager approaching the age of mobility? Are you concerned about this new passage into adulthood? Here are some guidelines to help you decide if you are the right driving instructor for your child.

1. How is your driving record? If insurance companies laugh when you ask them for a quote, you might not want to be the person who launches a young driver out onto the busy highways. Find a solid, steady driver to instruct your teenager, and then consider enrolling in a driver's training course yourself.

2. How well do you cope with the unknown? Some kids handle it, some kids will have fender benders, or take the odd detour into the tennis court. If you are extremely nervous about teaching your kid to drive, you probably shouldn't do it. The driver's training course is a fine investment when you consider what it will save you in stress and sleepless nights. Additionally, it is very hard to learn from someone who is extremely nervous. Your teenager will feel additional pressure to do everything right, and this can have a paralytic effect on the learning process.

3. Examine your resources. A person does not have to be a certified driving instructor in order to be an excellent driving coach. You may have a family member similar to my grandfather; a solid, steady presence who would be more than happy to teach your child how to drive safely. Sometimes it is simply a matter of finding personalities that mesh. Look within your family for a good resource before you try other avenues.

4. No matter who teaches your child to do the driving, make sure you teach them the responsibility that accompanies the skill. Make them understand that it is only a painted line separating them from a collision. Reiterate over and over the dangers of driving drunk or overly tired. Make them aware that driving while impaired is not an option, and that you will always be willing to come get them if they are unable to drive.

Have a good trip.

Learn more about this author, Alissa King.
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