I got my license on a Tuesday, the day I turned 16. I had to find a job to pay for the car my dad financed for me. He paid for the insurance but that is all (and a lot for a 16 year old.)

One of my friends had a 16 year old daughter. He got her on track to get her driver's permit the day she was 15.5 and she was off a few days from her 16th birthday due to family vacation schedules. He will turn 17 at the end of the month and she has put almost 18,000 miles on her car. My friend is thrilled to be free of taxi duty.

There's an underlying theme here. Even if my kids don't want a driver's license they would get one. Why? Because I said so. They will be responsible for getting themselves and their younger siblings to school, practice, etc. Same reason why they won't be living at home at 25, because I won't let them. There's some culpability for the parents as well, if you cart around your 20-something, let them live at home, give them money.....you are part of the problem.

I can think of a young un's reason not wanting to drive. The quality of some drivers' driving is not that great. More ignorance on the road now. I find that I have to be more defensive now and be in proactive mode. I see more drivers cutting in front of others with little warning. Just scary sheet going on....tailgating, speeding etc

he's been driving with his learner's permit.
We always insist he drive when we go somewhere so he gets the experience.
Now he can drive himself to school and back.
His school is a 15 minute drive, it'd be an hour on a bike.

He always gets straight A's, last year he carried 2 honors classes and 3 AP classes, and will likely make varsity this year in soccer.

:clap

I agree with this sentiment 100%, Matt. Many of my friends think I'm an ******* for it, lol.

Must be a "generational thing",and if so this generation is screwed up! I could not wait to get my license for the freedom it gave you. And I could not wait to move out of the house because of the freedom it gave you. Are today's kids conditioned to be coddled? Has Big Brother taught this generation not to value their freedom? Interesting.......very interesting.

I don't think the coddling is a governmental thing; it's a personal thing. My ex-wife is an extreme coddler. If she could keep our kids as babies forever, she would; literally. It's a constant battle for me to get her to freaking let go and let the kids go be kids.

Sammyg2

Sounds familiar. And sounds like a good kid.

Once my son figured out he could go places by himself. He jumped in the car and went! Then over the next year or so, he really figured out how empowering it is to drive. No looking back.

I'm already telling my kids that they have a free room at home until they graduate from college, assuming they go to one of the local schools. Not going to college? Time to move out. There will obviously be other stipulations as well such as a part-time job, good grades, and finishing school in a timely manner.

I love my kids and want to do everything I can to help them be successful, handouts don't advance that goal. If my kids are unable to take care of themselves in this world, I have failed as a parent. Nothing helps you grow up like moving out on your own. Even though my kids are welcome at home as college students, I will still encourage them to have their own place. I cannot fathom how you even feel like an adult when you still live at home. I know parents that are still buying their 20-something kids new cars and houses. HOUSES!!! It blows my mind, maybe because I've always been wired that you take care of yourself.

We appear to be cut from the same cloth in regards to parental philosophies...

I've said it before; all my kids know when they turn 18, they have 3 options:
Go to school locally--your room here is free.
Go to school away--Good luck. We'll help out if truly needed.
Don't go to school--You can stay here...for a while. But you owe me rent.

You are more generous, if any of my kids decides to simply join the workforce after high school, we are going apartment shopping.:) Want to join the real world? People in the real world have their own places and pay their own bills.

My daughter turned 16 this summer and couldn't wait to get her permit. In PA kids get a permit at 16, then can get license after six months later. I'm not sure six months is enough time for someone to pick up the skills to drive by themselves. We have had one lesson in a parking lot. It will be a while until she is on the street. I really need to take her out daily so she gets the repetition.

My grandfather had a ranch as was driving as young as 11ish. Got permit at 14 and license at 16. Like everyone else here, that was the ticket to freedom and bigger acts of stupidity.

I need to decide if I'm going to teach her to drive a stick. The 930 is the only one I have.

I think every kid should learn stick. If nothing else because they might have to drive a drunk friend home or something similar.

Here, kids can get a permit at 15.5; and license at 16. The license at that point has some inherent restrictions on it, though. Some of these restrictions are tied to the curfew that Arizona has for minors.

My younger stepson will be 15 pretty soon; I've been teaching him how to drive for the past few months. On the weekends, we go on base and drive around a huge empty parking lot. He's learning on a manual (the 350Z is a stupid easy stick to learn on; the other day, he shifted from second to fifth at around 25, and the car didn't even hiccup). Unlike his brother, he WANTS to drive--badly. My oldest daughter (a few months younger than this stepson) kinda/sorta wants to drive, but is very nervous about learning to drive a stick. She WILL learn. Like Matt said, I believe it's a necessary skill.

Next daughter in line is 11. I can't count how many times she's told me or the ex to give her the keys so she can go somewhere...that kid's gonna kill me, lol. She's already chomping at the bit to drive, and has claimed my truck as "her's." My son (8) is my little car guy. He was kinda pissed at me when I sold the 'vette because he REALLY wanted it. Slightly exasperated, he told me "That's ok. I'll just buy myself one just like it when I get my license." I was kinda impressed he didn't say I would buy him one...

I don't get it. I got my license the morning I turned 16 and bought a rust bucket 240Z that night.

My 21 yo son got his learner's permit at 16 when he could have had it at 15 and didn't get his license til 19.

It should be a whole other thread but how about chasing girls? From 16 on it was my one mission in life. My 21 yo son? I've seen him with one girl and he just doesn't seem to want to put in the effort to have a girlfriend.

I guess I am lucky. My daughters are 15 and 16. My 16 yo got her licence last Sept on her birthday. I got her a 2001 Celica 5 speed. She has been working at Subway all summer and is saving up for a Miata. My 15 yo has her permit and will get her licence next April on her b-day. They both love cars and driving them. The 16 yo has been driving my SC and really loves it, she doesn't even complain about the lack of a radio.

Dave

Ironic I stumbled across this thread this morning. About a month ago now, we held up our end of a deal with my wife's godson by handing over the keys to an '03 GTI project that I had finished up.

His dad messaged me on Facebook this morning with a picture of new LED interior lights that the kid bought and installed himself. His dad messaged me because he (the kid) doesn't have a Facebook account. He is too busy with Football and wrestling practice.

He's probably more old school than many kids today in the sense that he recognized the freedom a license represents and couldn't wait to get his on his 16th birthday. I'm glad to see he is engaging in little projects like installing LED lights in his car. I did similar things (but before the time of LED lights) when I was a kid and I think it helped reinforce my ownership of "my" car but also helped develop my ability and understanding of how things work in not just cars but many different types of machines. Start small and grow.