12.11.13 - Another Driver in the Family

One of the most significant changes in our family this past year has been the addition of a new driver to the family.  Makela turned 16 this year, but based on Indiana law, she has to accumulate a certain number of driving hours with her permit and be 16 1/2 before she gets her license.

Time really does fly by because I can't believe Makela is old enough to drive!  She's been doing a great job though and I am certain will be ready for her driver's test when the time comes.  If you were to ask her what the most challenging part of learning to drive has been, I believe she would say her parents.  There is more than a little anxiety in the passenger seat(s) when she is driving, but we do our best to stay calm and let her focus on the road and on learning each time out.  We need to get some snow driving in for practice though, so I think in the next snow fall we may head to a school or church parking lot to practice.

I think she is getting tired of me reminding her that "until she has children of her own, this is probably the biggest responsibility she will have as an adult."  Hopefully she'll hear it so much that she hears that message in her head each time she gets in the car.

Having another driver will certainly help in the logistics of our busy family, but I am nervous about entering this stage of life.  A friend of mine cautioned me that when his daughter started driving he immediately lost a connection with her that he wasn't prepared for.  Those 10 minutes in the car to and from school or practice or anywhere else they would go just disappeared and were no longer necessary. He advised me to be proactive and have a plan for how we can replace those lost encounters.  It was great advice and honestly, not something I had thought about when thinking about Makela driving.  My mind went to questions like "Will she be safe?" - "Is she ready for the responsibility?" - "Is she mature enough?" - "Am I ready to let her drive?" - "Can we afford another driver?"  I never thought about the relational impact if I answered yes to all those questions....

So, she's getting ready to become an official driver and I'm scheming how to hold on to my little girl a little longer...or at the very least figure out how we can spend time with this young woman she is growing to be.