Gearhead Parenting: 5 reasons your child needs to start driving immediately.
Driving: a cornerstone of car culture.
For each and every gearhead, being behind the wheel is high speed heaven, an unparalleled feeling of joy and skill. From blasting down the quarter mile to taking on a winding road, or even hypermiling and keeping momentum. The road is our shepherd, or so it seems.
As our society moves forward, learning how to drive seems to be something each generation postpones more and more, so it is up this generation of gearheads to teach our kids the art of wielding a four wheeled mechanical stallion.
Here are five reasons learning to drive at a young age can be beneficial for children at Gearhead Parenting.
A sense of responsibility
Being in charge means not only being accountable for your actions and decisions, but also taking care of people and things. Few other things teach this sense of duty in the way that driving does.
Taking pride in your daily duty is something that is no longer taught in schools, so it is up to the parents to do pass on this life lesson unto the new generation.
Developing reflexes
Physical activity is pretty much an afterthought nowadays, so we tend to neglect taking care of our bodies. Our children grow up without knowing the value of being in shape. However, driving requires quick reflexes as well as some physical endurance. It serves then as motivation to remain healthy and experience the outdoors.
In short, driving takes both mental and physical effort, and that’s a good thing.
Confidence building
While some parents resort to sports or hobbies to boost their children’s self esteem, when you think about it, driving is both a hobby for some, and a useful life skill for all.
It does not instantly boost confidence, but rather builds it on the foundation of skill.
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Knowing when and how to act
Driving promotes self confidence through proactive decision making and assertive problem solving. Enhancing the ability to work under high pressure, making split second calls yet being capable of extensive planning. Routes, contingencies, stress management. All can be taught and practiced through driving.
For the fun of it
Ask any gearhead about what is it like to drive, and they will all agree in one key aspect: it’s great fun.
At the end of the day, being behind the wheel puts a smile in our face and peace in our mind, bringing us closer to where we need to be. It seems to be our duty to share this experience with the upcoming gearheads growing up right now. the kids now beginning to tinker and explore car culture.
As always, thanks you for reading Gearhead Parenting.