When a Teen Gets Their License..

From the time they are young, kids are always talking about when they get their license, what kind of car they'll drive and where they want to go when they do. it seems when they are about to turn 16, they think they'll magically get a license and take the parent's car every time they want to go somewhere.
  Both my daughters took driver's ed at 16, but then waited until they were 18 to take the driving test. My eldest is a very calm person, very nonchalant and was a breeze to teach how to follow the rules of the road. She has been on the road since then, or so it seems because she now lives in SC instead of NH.
  My second kid is a bit more high strung. I wasn't as enthused about driving with her, but it had to be done. After 2 years, she finally said she was ready to go. She passed the written test, then took the driving portion. The instructor said it usually takes about 15-20 minutes. When they hadn't returned by 25, I was getting a bit antsy. What could possibly be taking so long?! 30 minutes passed. Were they ok? crashed? stopping for a snack? What?! They finally got back and she was smiling. He had her drive around town and park a few times. She actually passed her driving test the first time!

 I didn't realize it, but I was holding my breath. I let out a deep sigh and took my keys back. I knew I was going to be the one driving home.
  Now we have 'discussions' on why can't she use my van to pick her friends up or get her hair done. We told her she can get a car when she has a job to support it. I hope it's soon ..

~a week later: and a peek at my own early driving days..
It's not easy handing over the keys to my mini van. My source of transportation and mobile freedom.
Thoughts of my own years as a young driver pass through my mind. I wasn't exactly careful with my Mom's Chevy Chevette.  It was a standard and we lived in a city built on hills, so the clutch got quite a workout. My van is an automatic and there are fewer hills, but I still think about my immature thought process, which was not helped when there were friends with me. I can't believe I let them drive her car and how reckless I acted then. My friends, Michelle and Kathy, weren't even close to having a license, but that didn't stop me from thinking it would be all right. Michelle was about 14 or so and I was dating her brother. I guess I was trying to gain brownie points or something. They both did fine and my mother never knew, but couldn't understand why her clutch seemed to not work well on some days.

<3 My girls circa 1994 <3

I don't encourage this, and even warn against it, but I'm just saying I know how young drivers sometimes forget to engage their brains and may cause problems with their mother's vehicles.
I let my daughter drive it to her friend's, at night. she has to be back by ten, which is in about 20 minutes. I want to text her to casually ask how it's going, but she'd know right away i was checking up on her. She's 18 and becoming independent. It's time I stop being a helicopter parent and let her live for a change.( as long as my van gets back as it was when she left :)
 The apron string is nearly snapped,and my fingers are chaffed from holding on so long and hard. I think I'm really ready to let her grow up now and become the confident woman I know she can be..
She'll always be my little Daisy girl <3