This is going to be Interesting!

[jonesfam]

We have purchased a Hyundai Getz to teach the kids to drive in. It is a tiny little manual so I/we can teach them to drive a manual car.
Our eldest (16) went off on Thursday disappearing for most of the day, came home & said "Dad, I need $210.00"?
So I had to ask what for? My Learners License.
I didn't even know he was going for it. They have a mob come up here called Indigenous Driver Licencing Unit which help the kids & others to get their licenses.

So, after work the lessons begin. It is 20 years since I half taught my daughter to drive before giving up & getting her professional lessons while at boarding school.

Wilfred has some intellectual disabilities but is a lovely boy & loves to try hard & please you.

So, at the moment I'm not sure if I should get drunk before or after the driving lesson?
Or, maybe, delegate to SWMBO?
Jonesfam

[DiscoMick]

I'm teaching 2 grandkids to drive at the moment, because their mother is too panicky to be an instructor.
My advice is to be very cool and laid-back. Give them targets before you start. Then give them plenty of time to achieve them.
Find a deserted place and let them practice the basics.
They will take a long time to learn how to change manually without bunnyhopping.
They also take a long time to adjust their reactions to speed, so start slowly and don't rush them. I made them spend a whole hour just changing between first, second and reverse.
Get some cones, set them out in an empty space and get them to practice turning, weaving and backing.
Remember, they learn by making mistakes. Mistakes are normal.
Have a cool beer ready for yourself when you get home.

[bsperka]

I gave my girls their first lessons on basic car control (changing gears, steering and parking, hill starts for clutch control), then alternated between private and professional lessons. So about 3 to 4 hours. The instructor commented that they must have had a lead foot teaching them! So bad habits can be formed fast.

My eldest only bunnyhopped when mum took her for a lesson. After 10 minutes my daughter called the lesson off, as mum couldn't stop laughing at the bunny hopping.

[bblaze]

taught all my kids to drive (plus a few ring ins) in 4x4 on the beach in low range, just steering for a start and progressing up from there when they could reach the pedels. They all drove fair by the time they were about 12.
cheers
blaze

[sashadidi]

We have purchased a Hyundai Getz to teach the kids to drive in. It is a tiny little manual so I/we can teach them to drive a manual car.
Our eldest (16) went off on Thursday disappearing for most of the day, came home & said "Dad, I need $210.00"?
So I had to ask what for? My Learners License.
I didn't even know he was going for it. They have a mob come up here called Indigenous Driver Licencing Unit which help the kids & others to get their licenses.

So, after work the lessons begin. It is 20 years since I half taught my daughter to drive before giving up & getting her professional lessons while at boarding school.

Wilfred has some intellectual disabilities but is a lovely boy & loves to try hard & please you.

So, at the moment I'm not sure if I should get drunk before or after the driving lesson?
Or, maybe, delegate to SWMBO?
Jonesfam

Taught my son with a manual Getz!! boy it had a Hair trigger like throttle and was difficult for him to get co ordinated with the clutch as indeed did I ...but once he did he could drive any manual !!!
No need to get drunk we all had to learn and it takes you back to the old days!!!

[loanrangie]

My 16yo has migrated from mum's pulsar to my D3, doesn't like mums car any more.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191214/199addc4b20cca84e2574b658f7120fe.jpg

[Gav 110]

Me and a couple of mates bought an old escort when we were about 15 and taught each other to drive🤣🤣(or how not to drive )

My two boys have been driving tractors since about 6
Now they just get in the old 110 and hoon around the farm
I’ve had to tell em to stop doing donuts and power slides out in the back paddock I case they roll it and we’ll be stuck
The oldest (12) no problems gear changes hi to low range when it gets boggy
The 8 year old still needs to be told when to change gears but he’s had the clutch sussed since he first got on the tractor
Both had a chance to steer since toddlers
Best way to learn the younger the better

[jonesfam]

Wilfred has had 4 lessons so far & he is doing OK.
The first couple of days we got out on the Roadhouse forecourt, after hours, and just had him sitting still going through gears & so on for ages, car running as we need the A/C.
The next couple of days he has been driving around the forecourt in first gear getting the hang of steering & braking. The Getz will putter along in first with no throttle.
Last thing yesterday I was trying to get him to get the clutch take up & gentle acceleration thing right. He did it well 2 out of 10 times & my neck is not to whiplashed.

The main problems is he keeps looking at his feet! So, I guess a lot more practice is needed before we hit the actual road.
I am also very proud of myself, haven't lost my cool & have stayed relaxed even when headed for the bowsers at all of 3kph. :)

Yes, the Getz has a very touchy accelerator.

Jonesfam

[S3ute]

Hello from Sherwood.

I taught both my kids to drive although the lessons concluded with a couple of professional lessons leading up to the formal test. The sacrificial clutch and gearbox were in my old Laser which survived well enough to run for several more years.

I found that it was easier to get the logic of using the clutch across a bit more readily if you spend a little time explaining - not mansplaining - how the clutch actually works. Especially the notion that the pressure plate and flywheel that are rotating at a couple of thousand rpm are trying to grab a stationary disc with up to a ton of resistance and bring it up to the same speed. With that on board the idea of not letting it out too quickly or too slowly seemed to be taken up quite easily.

Cheers,

Neil

[jonesfam]

My Learner Driver "Son" Wilfred, is a lucky boy.
He is now living in Cloncurry with SWMBO & a few of the kids to attend school there.
He is a nice & generally good boy but has FAS issues so doesn't always understand how important some things are.
And just to set the scene my D2 is in Cloncurry because I had to fly back to work due to the Wet.

Yesterday SWMBO had to drive over to Mt Isa to buy some things not available in Cloncurry.
She was away for about 4 hours & left the 2 oldest boys at home including Wilfred.
Today SWMBO was asked by a friend "How long has Wilfred had his licence?"
He hasn't she said? He is still learning.

Apparently, while SWMBO was away Wilfred decided to go to PCYC which is about 4 blocks from our house & apparently he didn't want to walk!!
So he got my D2 keys, backed out the drive way, through 2 round abouts, 1 give way sign & a couple of corners.
Then did it all again in the opposite direction, put the keys back & didn't say a word.

As you can guess SWMBO went OFF! Well, she said she got a little angry, I know her & I'm glad I was in Doomadgee.
I had a long talk to Wilfred on the phone tonight & ………………………………… I don't think he got it.
SWMBO has locked my keys up & is now keeping her car key on her person.

SWMBO has been getting Wilfred to start my car & drive it back & forth on our drive way so maybe it's a bit our fault.
I was horrified & just a little bit proud of him.

Jonesfam

[Tins]

I love this post. but i must ask: Have you ever considered moving to Melbourne? You wouldn't have to fly to work due to rain, SWMBO could run the kids to school, and Wilfred would be in jail. So would you, probably..

Mum tells the story ( mum is 101 ) of her brother Bill, who she thinks I take after. Bill was born in 1922. Mum's mum rang up ( they weren't rich, but grandpa was in Government, and had the telephone on ) and asked the maid could she speak to Bill, and the maid said "of course, I'll get him. He's just putting the car away". Bill had been shopping in Kew.

It warms my heart that there is a kid out there with that spirit. It's been leeched out of them down here. All little 'yes' people.

[JDNSW]

My two oldest grandchildren are learning (and have been for a while). One refuses to drive an auto, the other refuses to drive a manual (they bunnyhop!). Both actually started well before they were old enough to get a learner's, driving my 2a on the property. This seems to have put one off manuals, but the other is reasonably competent, and prefers the 110 to the 2a - I think it is mainly the power steering. She just needs practice.

One incident a while back - I sat next to her driving on her first trip Yass to Canberra - and there was a random breath test setup at Murrumbateman. Yes, they breath tested both of us.

[Eevo]

throw them in the deep end, best way to learn.

[Johndoe]

throw them in the deep end, best way to learn.

Yep my son aged 13 was thrown my Disco keys not long ago while out camping.
I was in the passenger seat but he did fine.

Same way i learned. Old man threw me the keys to our Datsun 120 Ute and he said stay in second.

[1950landy]

This guy in China had just passed his driving test & picked up his new car when this happned when he tried to read a text message.

158408 He did end up in the water .:o:(:BigCry:

[Hogarthde]

Johntins, how old was your Uncle Bill?
and if he was a youngster , the car might have been a big heavy USA machine ?

[austastar]

Hi,
We had a " sick " 14 yo at home from school for the day, while we were at work.
The previous weekend I had changed the oil on the car and noted the mileage on a whiteboard. And I had done a poor job of backing the car into the garage which made it difficult to get the motorbike past to go to work.
Backing the bike in that evening there was plenty of room, the car was parked neatly parallel to the wall.
Hmmmm!
More than 20km extra on the Speedo, kid not so sick any more.
He got a quiet explanation of the financial risks he had just exposed the family to, and the sacrifices that would be needed to finance even a minor crash with repair / medical expenses incurred by his actions.
Never happened again that I know of.
Cheers

[DiscoMick]

I was still in primary school when my father taught me to plough paddocks on the farm.
Took a few goes to get my rows straight though.

[BradC]

I was horrified & just a little bit proud of him.

We all know the pecuniary risks.
A) It's only illegal if you get caught.
B) Illegal is just a sick bird.
C) Fear Mum and Dad more than the police.

When I was 16, Mum had a 70's Rangie, Dad had a 1964 Triumph TR4A and a little Porsche.

The TR4A has no "power" anything, a very big and heavy clutch and about an inch of clutch travel. The pedal was also glass-smooth steel. No grip.
I had bare feet and had just walked over some washing soap-flakes my brother had spilled on the floor. Got into the Triumph to move it over the pit so I could to an oil change and my soap-covered foot slipped off the clutch pedal, at which time it lurched forward and took out the rear corner of the Porsche.

Frankly I'd have preferred dealing with the police.