<p>So are you guys still driving (the newly licensed) to social events, etc., (other than school)?</p>
<p>It depends on the event and timing. If it’s going to end after 10:30pm or so, we drive. If it’s a local get together, ending by 10:30pm, she drives. If it’s pouring rain, we drive. It’s a little situation dependent for now.</p>
<p>12:30 pm curfew for my new driver. No passengers except family for the first six months. She drives herself to school and back every day (about 15 miles each way). She is allowed use of the car for social events and errands. In all cases she must text before leaving and on arrival at a new destination. I told her it means I only have to worry when I know she is driving, and not worry all day and all night.</p>
<p>She has driven after a snow, but not during a snowstorm. So that means overnight at school tomorrow, or I will drive her, since they are talking a big snow storm in these parts.</p>
<p>16 for a drivers license. No other teens in the car for the 1st year. I think the curfew is 11pm. Not sure how long the curfew lasts. We have our own 11 pm curfew on weekends anyway. We also have the rule that the car isn’t allowed to do sleepovers. My 16 yr old has had her license for 8 months. She has proven to be a very good driver. I don’t know if it is me or her but I think she is the best driver of my 3 children.
I am thrilled that my helicopter Mom has paid off. I have been checking daily the local colleges spring class schedule in hopes of getting my D on at least a waitlist for a math class she wants to take. My daily checking has paid off and not only did I get her on a waitlist last week, today she got a spot in the class. That is a huge relief. The problem with her school program is they need to take Math and Science classes at the college but Dual enrolled students get last registration priority.</p>
<p>I am still driving my D to school. Juniors are not allowed to park on campus yet. My D drove in a snow storm and a rain storm. She did well but didn’t like it much.</p>
<p>Our new state rules require you to be 16 1/2 if you had driver’s ed, or 16 and 9 months without. No telecommunications devices allowed unless calling 911, no passengers (other than relative over 21 for the fist 6 months, no driving between 10pm and 5am first 6 months, then curfew of 11 weeknights or 1 weekends until age 18.
S will not have license until March, but rules will be strictly enforced. He must call before he leaves, no friends in the card until he is of age and no freeway driving until we feel he is ready.</p>
<p>@mathinokc - Thanks! I like the variety to show him something with a different bent - sometimes these programs all begin to sound the same!</p>
<p>My D is 16 3/4 with a learner’s permit…and drives daily with me to and from school. She is SO busy with school, track, and her volunteer work that she has no time left for drivers ed. Winter and Spring will only be busier. D mentioned a couple of days ago she might just wait until she is 18 to get her license…why go through classes and driving hours this summer when she could just wait until the spring of her senior year?</p>
<p>I think if this is the plan she should clock a few hours with a driving instructor before taking the road test! </p>
<p>Have any of your kids taken/considered this route?</p>
<p>pathways I’d say that’s pretty much what we’re doing-- she did have a drivers ed class and driving hours through school, and that instructor will have a last practice session with her (parallel parking, basically) and take her to the test. But not until March at the earliest She takes the bus to school and her EC which takes up every other minute is 2 miles away. I understand that it’s nearly necessary for some kids to be driving at 16-- but really the later the better. D’s best friend got her license at 17 and other friends are still on permits at that age.</p>
<p>Do you have to get the permit again if not licensed within the year? My D’s permit was expiring in March. She thought she may as well get the license than taking the permit test again. She did Driver’s Ed last summer. She is finding out how much freedom driving allows And I am finding out how much it cost to insure a teen. A lot…</p>
<p>In NC you can take driver’s ed, with driving, at 14 1/2. At 15 they get there permit and can drive only with a parent for a year. You can go for your driving test anytime after one year from the date of the permit. My son got his license about 2 months after his year was up and did not have to renew his permit. I have known other kids who waited even longer before going for the driving test. They also did not have to renew their permit. </p>
<p>Until my son gets his “after 9” license, I have to drive him to social events that end later than 9. When he gets his “after 9”, we have an 11:00 curfew on the weekends.</p>
<p>Mostly lurking and not typing here lately d/t end of quarter anxiety and disappointment. It is tough to read of so many successes with the SAT/ACT/grades when my son is having his worst quarter/semester yet. It is his own fault, he is putting less time into his studies than he should be. It is tough to watch. I know that there will be a college for him next year but not the ones that he could have gone to, had he kept up his intensity. For me, it is so tough to see him throw away 10 years of being a top student.</p>
<p>Hang in there, seiclan. From what I’ve read, your S is bound to thrive wherever he ends up. He just seems to have a good mix of smarts and parental support. </p>
<p>I’ve been mostly lurking, too. There’s just not much to report except that D wakes up everyday, goes to school, tutors a freshman, goes to track, eats dinner, does hw, takes a shower and goes to bed. She’s like a little gerbil on her wheel. I’m exhausted just watching her. :(</p>
<p>seiclan… he may be throwing away some great opportunities but he can’t throw away 10 years of hard work and good progress. It will stay with him and help him in innumerable ways! And, frustrating as this must be (I’m sure I’d be chewing off my own foot or something), there’s still time-- it’s the year-end grades that matter, and a mid-year doldrum can pass with some renewed effort and energy. I saw this in a friend of D’s whose junior grades slumped terribly-- until she pulled them up right at the end-- she’s at a 7 sister school now and doing great. Meanwhile, a virtual hug to you-- gray weather, gray feelings-- blecch.</p>
<p>Seilclan…stay positive! its those year end grades that count! and years of building on successes everything will work out.</p>
<p>seiclan - you aren’t alone! My S got the lowest unweighted GPA of his high school career this semester. So I’ve started a new search - schools that like to see a downward trend junior year. LOL. The disappointment was tempered by the fact that he really pulled it all up heroically the last 4 weeks - it could have been a lot worse. I can get bummed out thinking of all the scholarships he won’t get and therefore the schools he won’t get to go to also. But then I figure, if he has a great second semester, that’ll help. It’s REALLY frustrating to watch the grade roller coaster. On my dark days I can go between “wow, we must really stink at parenting” and “wow, there is really something wrong with that boy” as fast as spectators watching a tennis match. sigh.</p>
<p>Gwen - I like the way you think! here’s to year end grades being what really matters!!!</p>
<p>in the meantime, my poor older son is stuck at O’Hare trying to get back to school. Flights are canceled and delayed due to snow. We left the house at 4:00 am to take him to the airport, and he’s only gotten to Chicago so far (3 hours away driving!). I literally could have driven him back and gotten him to school 2 hours ago!</p>
<p>I agree with others. 10 years of hard work cannot be thrown away. Not that I will be any stronger if I am in your shoe. Hang in there.</p>
<p>seiclan - I agree, hang in there. You have plenty of company! I also like to remind myself that transcripts show semester grades, not quarter grades.</p>
<p>PN - I hope your son gets back without too many more delays.</p>
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<p>Excellent point!</p>
<p>Thanks guys for the cyber hug. Unfortunately, his semester grades count…they will be on the transcript and they will shake out the class rank. Midterm exams (25% of his semester grade) are next week and my son has 5 AP midterms. He needs to get A’s on them to get A’s in the classes, a B down to a D gives him a B for the semester…on the transcript. He has had only B up until this semester. Thats a long way to fall and hard to watch. Yes, he will be OK. I am practicing breathing.</p>