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So, my teenage daughter Kaia is now driving.   That is, she has her temporary license, which means she's only driving with me, my wife, or a professional instructor.  

This is the second time that I have climbed into the front passenger seat  (wishing I had a dual brake at my foot) to teach one of my kids how to drive.    So far so good!   Like her brother, Taylor, Kaia seems to be able to keep the car on the road and out of neighbors' gardens or vehicles.   (One moment, please, while I find some wood to knock on.....).

We're lucky to have a housing development in our area that has paved roads, marked intersections, and signage, but very few homes or traffic.  It's a great place for a new driver to get comfortable with the feeling of being behind the wheel.   

My Dad taught me to drive on a 1961 Mercury Comet, with "three on the tree" and a clutch that was more sensitive than, well, a teenager learning how to drive.   The thing is once I learned to drive that Comet, driving a vehicle with an automatic transmission was a piece of cake.

Having my youngest now at an age where she's behind the wheel is one of those rites of passage that reminds me how fast time is zipping by.   That point was driven home, no pun intended, when the other day I passed the same street on which Kaia is learning how to drive and saw two parents teaching their daughter how to ride a bike.  Seems like only yesterday that was us.

Have any interesting experiences or close calls teaching your child how to drive, or learning how to drive yourself?  Please share in the Comments Box above.