Liz Hall – Project Manager
Bittersweet Lasts
Thom and I have been doing this for our whole marriage…raising children. When I said “yes” to marrying him almost 27 years ago it came with “yes” to being a mom to 2 children. So, family life and raising kids is all we have ever known together.
15 years ago, we brought home our caboose, Sarah. We waited a while for her so there’s a 6-year gap. Since that time, we have been experiencing a lot of lasts. Last time bringing home a baby, last time potty training, last elementary school program, last stint as a tooth fairy, so many bittersweet lasts.
Recently we started another last… our last time teaching an excited teen to drive. This one brings a different kind of feeling. This has never been my favorite parenting task; the task that makes you fear it will be the last car ride of your life. Whenever we hear the words, “Can someone take me driving?” Thom and I look at each other as if to say, “I think it’s your turn”. It’s nice to have another driver at the house, but the painful process of getting there makes you wonder if the juice is worth the squeeze.
Sarah is our child who, in many ways, could have raised herself and at times probably wonders why Thom and I are even around. However, requiring 60 driving hours (with a parent) over the next year may help prove our worth. Knowing this could be a challenge for all 3 of us, Thom and I created a plan to help make this a positive experience. We developed a set schedule with equal amounts of “quality time” so that we can all mentally prepare. As parents, we need to find ways to share our vast knowledge of driving with someone who has literally read the drivers manual multiple times in recent weeks. She’s confident and inexperienced. We are experienced and scared! Our hope is that by next July, Sarah will get an A+ on the driver’s test, and we will have graduated from this “last” with an A+ in relationships. Wish us luck!
My favorite part of teen age driving lessons is almost dying and then being told to “chill”
– Every parent who has ever driven with their teen
