Princess got her driver’s license. Exciting times, right? My girl is growing up and completing another milestone on the way to adulthood. I am a proud parent. I am also terrified.
Maybe terrified is too strong a word. I feel some discomfort. Yes, that’s it. I feel uneasy. Yesterday, I let her drive to the store by herself. My stomach was churning but I turned over the keys anyway. She has to learn to be comfortable driving solo. The only way to do that is to just do it. She’s gone to driving school and I’ve ridden with her several times. She is a good driver although an inexperienced one. I trust her to be careful. But I am a parent and I still worry.
Here is something I’ve realized. It gets harder to keep your kids safe as they get older. When they are babies straight through the elementary years, you know exactly where they are. The majority of the time they are with you. You decided where they go, what they do and who they do it with.
Teenagers don’t need, or frankly even want to, do everything with their parents. It’s a constant tug of war. They desire more freedom and good parents gradually let them fly solo and make their own decisions. But with that comes a lost of parental control. You have to trust that the values you’ve instilled will actually stick. You have to trust that your child will make more good choices than bad. You pray that a higher power protects them from harm.
Then you let go. And sit in the passenger seat while your kid drives.