Comments on: Driven Crazy

By: Lori G. Armstrong

Lori G. Armstrong — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:00:41 +0000

Sophie,

In South Dakota, you can get your learner’s permit at…Fourteen.

Not kidding. The kids need to help out on the farm and ranch, which was the basis for the law. It’s changed a little, it used to be you could drive by yourself when you were 14, now, you have to have an adult with you for at least six months before you can drive alone.

My older daughters were driving by themselves by age 15, and yes, teaching them to drive is/was hubby’s responsibility

By: Toni McGee Causey

Toni McGee Causey — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 06:12:38 +0000

Quilt lady… quit driving him. Problem solved. Why should he do it himself if you’re going to do it for him?

I don’t mean that harshly. I’ve done it myself, with other things. It’s easy to get into the mindset of, “Oh, but if I don’t do it, then he won’t accomplish X, and X is really important, and once he’s done X, he’ll be better off… so how can I deny my child the ability to be better off?” Except, after X… comes Y. Then Z. Then AA. And BB. So stop driving him. He’s old enough to solve the problem for himself.

By: sophie littlefield

sophie littlefield — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 04:42:40 +0000

Marlyn thanks! – but I’m plenty old enough. I had T-wa when I was 29 and Junior when I was 31…nowadays people often have kids much later and I wonder where they find the energy (and you *know* I am in awe of all you moms of large families – you are goddesses). My girlfriend who is, ahem, a couple of years older than me has one-year-old twin girls. I think they should give her a Congressional Medal of Honor.

By: Marlyn

Marlyn — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 04:28:13 +0000

Sophie, you don’t look old enough to have a 17-year-old! I’m lucky; both the kids were driving already by the time I married Tod.

By: sophie littlefield

sophie littlefield — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:51:55 +0000

Jen, you are sweet as all get out and was that a nice comment to discover….after yelling at my little darling to do his chores I know you are right about just buckling down and making him drive as much as possible in all conditions, and I’m renewing my resolve to do that.

Someone gave me some advice about training my puppy, which was to pour on the time and effort up front, that I’d be happy in the long run. I think it might be the same for these durn young drivers…

By: sophie littlefield

sophie littlefield — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:50:11 +0000

PCN I have turned into such a gramma driver, you wouldn’t believe it. And I have sympathy for your mom. I am wayyyyy more critical and shriek-y than I should be, I know – but i just can’t stop myself! It’s something they put in the mom tea…

By: Allison Brennan

Allison Brennan — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:40:33 +0000

You are a wise woman, Toni.

By: Jen Lyon

Jen Lyon — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:30:09 +0000

Sophie, your son is cute! And you too pretty to be his mom.

Hubby and I taught all three of our boys to drive. We were relentless, making them drive everywhere in every possible weather condition. I HATED it, but the end result was that, although I aged 10 years in six months, by the time they had their license, I had a fair amount of confidence in them.

I loved your comment about writing, and trusting the story to make it’s way to the surface.

By: Pop Culture Nerd

Pop Culture Nerd — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:18:14 +0000

Oh, this is a tough one. The weird thing is I’ve been on both sides of the situation.

When I was learning to drive, I thought I was the most cautious driver ever (still am, have never gotten a ticket) and yet, my mother would nearly pass out from fright every time she was in the passenger seat. Listening to her, you’d think I was doing the Indy 500. I just wrote it off as her being Mom and really protective of her kid’s (and her own) life.

But then I met my husband, who drives faster than a tornado and weaves in and out of traffic as if he’s on a motorcycle, only he’s in our mid-sized sedan. I’ve begged, cried, nagged but he thinks I’m overreacting. And he always does get us home safely. This makes me realize I’ve turned into my mother.

By: sophie littlefield

sophie littlefield — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:58:55 +0000

Liz, it’s so funny, every experienced parent I talk to says about the same thing, that they did a lot of yelling and praying. (and I figure the others are lying It *does* make it easier to know this is a time-honored tradition….and to think about the day when my boy has to teach *his* child to drive…oh that will be sweet revenge