<p>Keep- when my older one was a junior and we were visiting schools, my 2015er was in 8th grade and she came with us- she did not seem to mind. We visited one school with a spiral staircase in the science building and the tour guide asked the group if they knew what the stairs represented. My 8 th grader was the only one not embarrassed to answer the question- she yelled out DNA!
Driving with them is horrible, but I do notice an improvement thank goodness. Last week I had to sit in the back seat because the other kids were out and they can’t be alone in the car with the instructor. It was very scary but yet interesting at the same time.</p>
<p>D started learning to drive this past winter, and there were a number of close encounters with shrubbery and lawns in those first harrowing 10 hours on the road. :)</p>
<p>Twogirls…that’s a great story :)</p>
<p>You guys are scaring me. 39 days until D is allowed to get her permit. I realize now I should cherish each hour of those 39 days!</p>
<p>We had to watch out for mailboxes. I had visions of having to buy all of my neighbors a new one.</p>
<p>I am enjoying the driving stories! My S has had his permit for a year–it is very slow going as he is a bit anxious. How long it takes…is…how long it takes! No hurry for this guy.</p>
<p>I actually kind of hoped my DD would hit a garbage can one day. She had been hugging the right side so much and I didn’t think she was aware of how far she was over, even though I was telling her. I didn’t want her to go into a ditch or hit a mailbox, but someone had left a garbage can a little too far out and I figured if she had to hit something, that would be the best victim. But she wasn’t quite as far over as I had thought. It’s weird how far off your perspective can be when riding shot gun to a teenager. It’s scarier than any rollercoaster.</p>
<p>I realized today that this is my responsible kid. I really fear when my more free spirited child starts to drive.</p>
<p>Haven’t checked in for a bit but enjoyed all the driver’s ed stories. My son just got his permit on Monday and is scheduled for his first 2 hour driving lesson next week. He also got a letter from the DMV in the mail today with forms for his diabetes doc that have to be filled out by the end of the month or they’ll revoke his driving privileges. Oh, the joys of having health problems! I am hopeful his doctor will sign off on everything. His friend, also a T1 diabetic, had a doctor who refused to do so and he couldn’t get his license until he was 18.</p>
<p>3girls, yes, it’s hard to know just how to proceed when you know your kid is in very close range to NM. I was just going to have my son do a section a day when he got a nasty summer cold. Sigh!</p>
<p>On the positive, he’s been busking once a week and has made probably $160+ for 4-5 times of busking. It’s been a good part time summer job. :-)</p>
<p>S15 has his learners permit all summer. He constantly asks if he can drive me to my daily errands. He’s been doing well except in the parking lots. My poor wheels are out of balance from a few hits on curbs. He didn’t understand when I asked him to swing out wide when turning on a parking lot curb. Well, just this week we were in a parking lot walking back to our car when we witnessed a young driver hug the curb and ripped part of her wheel well off! Son now understands what I’m talking about. :)</p>
<p>The first time I let my daughter drive home from drivers ed we had cars beeping at us and passing. I thought about buying a " student driver" magnet for the car, but the instructor told me to put the flashers on ( those double blinkers- not sure what they are called). The next time I let her drive home ( side roads) that’s what we did and the problem was solved.</p>
<p>I bought a " student driver" magnet from Amazon. I thought it helped other drivers give her a bit more space and courtesy.
[Amazon.com:</a> Zone Tech Student Driver Magnet REFLECTIVE Magnetic Vehicle Car Sign: Automotive](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Zone-Tech-Student-REFLECTIVE-Magnetic/dp/B00A80EVXO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376051538&sr=8-1&keywords=student+driver+magnet]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Zone-Tech-Student-REFLECTIVE-Magnetic/dp/B00A80EVXO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376051538&sr=8-1&keywords=student+driver+magnet)</p>
<p>Worth the $10</p>
<p>The magnet would have been a good idea. I think it’s too late now. D has 7 more hours to go before she can test, though she’s been so haphazard about recording them that I think she’s really there. Her driving is pretty good. We’re visiting grandpa this weekend who wants to take her out. Should be fun. I remember learning to drive with him.</p>
<p>Older sister did some serious damage to the front of H’s car one night coming back from visiting with friends. She was hugging the right side of our driveway and hit the house. She’s fine, the house is fine, but fixing the headlight cost a lot of money. I just hope that she hasn’t decided that the answer is never to drive again!</p>
<p>@Sally, thanks for the suggestion of the magnet. It might be late for some of the kids in this group, but my D. hasn’t started yet. (She is young, 14.5 yo) so next year when she starts, the magnet will be useful.</p>
<p>She came back from England, is ready to work on summer work and some study.</p>
<p>One of D’s close encounters with a bush/lawn required a visit to the homeowner to confess. It was in the snow, so no real damage done and the homeowner was very sweet. D was of course mortified, but we laugh about it now.</p>
<p>Hello to momsings! Long time no see!</p>
<p>D just found out today that her guidance counselor has been changed. I have no info about the new one, but the old one was not very helpful so hopefully it’s a change for the better.</p>
<p>^ funny!! My older daughter had an amazing GC and I was hoping that my rising junior would have the same one. No such luck, but so far he has been fine and we can’t complain. Junior year is when this GC expects parents to take a back seat and let the kids do all of the navigating. Thankfully I have an assertive kid or I would be in trouble. I remember getting an email from my older kid’s GC carefully telling me to stop the emails and please let her take over. She should be getting her schedule in the next week- hopefully there are no mistakes.</p>
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<p>The other day, I was behind a car with a hand printed sign taped above the license plate: “NEW DRIVER,” which was a new one on me. </p>
<p>Re guidance. Good guidance can be crucial. A friend of my daughter, a top student, applied to only Ivys and the state u. She got into only the state u. She was very upset at the time, but landed on her feet in the honors program, and is now happy about it. But you think someone might have advised her to consider something other than the elite of the elite and a safety.</p>
<p>When my older one met with guidance junior year she came home with a hand written list of about 25 schools to apply to. Many of them were immediately crossed off for various reasons. Before she met with guidance we visited a bunch of schools and created our own list- several of which were on the listed created by the GC. She applied to 8 schools, got into 8 schools, and received merit from 3. We intend to do the same thing with my 2015- come up with our own list and compare it to the one created by guidance. My friend’s daughter had the same GC as my soon to be junior, and she felt very misguided by him. She felt that he did not recommend enough safety schools- her daughter was rejected by many of the schools that he recommended. I think that we need to listen to guidance but we also need to do our own research. I also think it’s important to maintain an excellent rapport ith the GC because we really need them to send things out in a timely manner.</p>
<p>Laclos: I actually kind of hoped my DD would hit a garbage can one day. </p>
<p>Ah, this made me laugh!</p>
<p>New GC must be pretty good - she was able to change D’s schedule around so now she can have lunch with her buddies. Crisis averted!</p>
<p>I don’t think our GCs make any school suggestions. Maybe they (she) will if I ask.</p>
<p>I feel fortunate that we have a decent GC. Our friend’s is awful and they are constantly battling with her. I think it will be much more stressful for them come application time. Our GC gets us, both me and my D. She knows where I’m coming from and understands what we’re trying to accomplish. She also gets my D and has been giving her good advice so far. I hope they don’t change them around b/c I have 2 more coming up after this one.</p>
<p>We don’t battle with our GC but there is nothing pro-active. I spent the last 2 years emailing her and getting immediate responses to questions to things they never suggested. I’ve told my daughter that now that she’s a junior, they won’t like it if I email so it’s up to her to fight her own battles. This came up immediately when the school switched to 4 year long blocks instead of 2, allowing her to now take Latin. She emailed the GC about it… and was told the standard response, but it was good for her to take that step and show initiative.</p>
<p>I feel like I have to constantly research because the GC won’t do it, but the information I need is not available online so I have to email her to get it. It’s very frustrating. And after all this, I’m pretty sure she will have no idea who my daughter is when it comes time to write the letters of recommendation that need to come from guidance. Her teachers all write glowing recommendations, so why do they need one from the clueless GC?</p>
<p>^ we also get a rec from guidance. They send home a 10 page packet in February- half for the student to fill out and half for the parent. There are a lot of questions ie awards, EC’s, describe your child, is there anything you would like included that may have impacted your HS experience ie divorce etc, if there was a scheduling conflict would you like that included, what are you most proud of about your child etc. Its really a very thorough packet that they use to write a LOR. I think the GC knows my daughter cause she has wandered in there a few times. My older one- not so much. I just learned that our school has a research class that meets once a week in the morning before school starts. This allows kids to get published in medical journals. I think there is room in the class if my daughter wanted to sign up, but I hesitate to add something else to her schedule. She wants to join the Science honor society this year- I already know that the department will provide her with the hours she will need, but so would the research class. Oh well- she is taking a writing elective and that will give her a publishing opportunity if she chooses to take advantage of it. There are only so many hours in a day- if she wants to join the science research class she can but I won’t push the issue. I am just mad because she could have started with it in 9 th grade. Our school gives out a course handbook and I always thought I did a good job of looking through it- I guess not!! I wish guidance would do a better job of pointing these things out to the kids when they make their schedule.</p>