Few things in life are stranger than being driven around by the child you taught how to walk. Sitting in the passenger seat while Ben pilots one of our vehicles is more than a little terrifying, entirely surreal, and very exciting! It feels like yesterday he was our chubby little guy waddling around the apartment, and now he’s driving us places and starting to figure out how to navigate the dozen or more miles from our house to… anywhere else he’d want to go.
Of course, times have changed since we learned to drive. I debated forcing our kids to learn to get around without modern technology, but the first time Ben backed into a parking spot, I decided a camera was probably worthwhile. I ordered the rather expensive upgrade kit for the BMW from Germany, and Ben and I installed it ourselves. For the slightly more quirky Saab, we ran the camera and prepped the dashboard, but will have a pro install the required head unit and custom wiring. That will give both cars GPS capabilities, which is probably also worthwhile, given our rural location.
We’ve been planning for this for awhile. Last year we expanded the driveway, and bought back my old Saab 93 from friends who’d bought it 4 years earlier for their own son as he was beginning his life of vehicle-based independence. Its 13 years old, but has been a reliable and safe ride for multiple drivers — and its in remarkably good shape. My hope when I bought it was to some day hand it down to Ben (a statement which he accepted with incredulity as a 7-year old) and I’m delighted it worked out. Along with our little electric car, we have three vehicles (only two of which will be driven by kids!)
Despite all the cost (emotional AND financial) associated with transitioning to this new chapter of parenthood, we ARE looking forward to it. Abi has regular after school practices and games she is committed to, Ben has started picking up odd jobs to make a little cash — and going out with friends to spend some of it. And while Eli has buddies within biking range right now, she’s got drama practice and girl scouts keeping her busy. Having another driver around will certainly be helpful. So far, Ben is a very conscientious and careful driver — and has already had plenty of opportunity to learn to navigate some of the dangers on the road: he successfully avoided hitting a deer on one occasion, and getting hit by a cell-phone-using driver drifting into the wrong lane on another. He’ll do 24 hours of online drivers ed, 50 hours in the car with us, and another 10 with an instructor, before he graduates to the next level of independence.
As weird as it is being driven around by our son, its even weirder watching him get in a car with a slightly older friend and driving off to activities we didn’t arrange for him. Its the beginning of his independence in a big world without us — and the beginning of the end of our daily influence in his life. We’re awful proud of the young adults our kids are becoming, and pray fervently that we’ve done a good job of equipping them to find the path the Lord would have them walk.
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