Hikin' Mama Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Has anyone done this? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Depends on your state's requirements for getting a license before the age of 18. It's legal in TN but we chose to use a driving school as they have those extra set of brakes and an extra steering wheel, along with not be an emotional parent. It was pretty inexpensive. $350ish for 30 hours class time and 6 hours behind the wheel in one hour increments. You can buy extra hours for $35 each. Well worth it imho. And they're approved by many insurance companies for insurance discounts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 I'll guess that "parent taught driver education" (the term typically used) is legal in every state. My husband has taught two of our children, thus far. After conversations with parents who have sent their children to the commercial driver schools, I never, ever would rely on one of those. The schools here teach group classes, rather than individual students. What is far worse, though, is that the commercial schools squeak by with an unsettlingly low amount of hands-on driving time. Young kids are turned onto the streets with licenses when they are in no way competent to be safe drivers. In contrast, the "Driver Ed in a Box" program, which is one of the programs legal in our state, requires serious driving amounts, including driving in specific types of difficult driving conditions. My favorite memory is DH grabbing our eldest son with the cheerful announcement, "Hey V___! Grab your coat. There's sleet and small hail, and you have to cover that part of the driving course." The parent-taught courses qualify for insurance reduction. Having sons, alas, qualifies for insurance hikes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 It's legal in our state as well. He can receive a permit then has to have so many hours behind the wheel to get his license (part of the requirement). We'll be teaching him, but we have family with a few acres. Once it warms up we'll be taking him out there to practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Nope, not legal in Washington. We have to use a certified school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Library Momma Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 When I was younger my father was able to go the the DMV and get a license that made him a certified driving instructor. There was no test but rather he had to meet certain requirements (be over 21, have a clean driving record, etc). He met the requirements easily and the license cost about $10. He then taught me to drive and because he was a certified instructor, I was still able to take advantage of insurance company discounts. This was many years ago so I am not sure if the instructor license is as easily obtained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendy not in HI Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 It is legal here in SD. But doing drivers education allows students to drive sooner after getting their permit. Our car insurance also allows for parent taught drivers ed. On the other hand, kids can (and many do) drive legally at 14 years old here, so... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briva Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 We used National Driver Training http://www.usdrivertraining.com for our two older kids. We are in TX where they also have Driver's Ed in a Box http://www.driveredinabox.com We started them when they were 16, got a permit, then trained them for two years, no problem getting drivers license (we were members of the Texas Home School Coalition). They are now 29 and 25...still good drivers! Our youngest turn 16 in Nov. finances have kept us from getting her started but we plan on going the same route Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 After conversations with parents who have sent their children to the commercial driver schools, I never, ever would rely on one of those. The schools here teach group classes, rather than individual students. What is far worse, though, is that the commercial schools squeak by with an unsettlingly low amount of hands-on driving time. Young kids are turned onto the streets with licenses when they are in no way competent to be safe drivers. Our experience was excellent with driving school here. The school is a non-profit. They make it very clear that parents must do a lot of driving above and beyond the six hours behind the wheel time that they include with the classroom course. Parents must document 50 hours of wheel time when submitting the paperwork to take the driving test at the DMV. People need to check out the individual programs that are available as some of them are quite good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caroljenn Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Not here in CA. We had to sign dd up for driver's training (online Groupon for $15) and then she has to complete 6 hours of driving with a certified instructor. She just did her first two hours yesterday. THAT training is costing us $260!!!! What happened to the good old days when you just took your permit test and started driving around with your parents? This costs a small fortune- it would be awfully difficult for underprivileged kids to get their licenses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 It depends on your state. It is not legal in Utah. We used an excellent driving school for our two oldest, and we were very happy with it. They did the classroom instruction online, and then they had to sit in the backseat of the car with another student driver for six hours of observation time, and then they had to drive with the instructor for six hours, while other students observed. It was about $400 for the course, if I recall. My dh taught them all at home as well, as they were also required to have 40 hours behind the wheel from another adult driver, but you cannot get your license in Utah without a driver's ed certificate either from a high school or a private driving school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikin' Mama Posted January 31, 2013 Author Share Posted January 31, 2013 Thanks for this info. I checked the links, and it looks like driver's ed is required in my state. My two oldest took it from private driving schools, and had a good experience, but I wanted to see what my alternatives were with my youngest. Thanks for your input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoo Keeper Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Not legal in Maine; we must use a state certified teacher/school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Depends on your state. here in MO, we can, and we do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 I think the prices quoted above are all very reasonable. We are talking about skills that you need to stay ALIVE on the road, not some extra meal out or vacation or gymnastics class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kidlets4me Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 What happened to the good old days when you just took your permit test and started driving around with your parents? This costs a small fortune- it would be awfully difficult for underprivileged kids to get their licenses. This is exactly why I don't agree with mandatory drivers ed. Here it costs $350 for 30 hours classroom instruction and 6 hours behind the wheel. I know of several families who just cannot afford that. Why am I, a licensed driver for more than 20 years, less qualified to teach my kid to drive than a certified driving instructor? Drivers ed should be optional not something I am forced to pay for against my will! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Here in NJ, the DMV provides a Parent Teaching Guide. I had no idea it wasn't legal in certain states to teach one's own child! WOW! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 This is exactly why I don't agree with mandatory drivers ed. Here it costs $350 for 30 hours classroom instruction and 6 hours behind the wheel. I know of several families who just cannot afford that. Why am I, a licensed driver for more than 20 years, less qualified to teach my kid to drive than a certified driving instructor? Drivers ed should be optional not something I am forced to pay for against my will! Driving is a privilege, not a right, for a teenager. If they can't afford that, they are not going to be able to afford adding the new driver to their insurance, even for an old beater car. If you know Suzy, at 14, needs to take drivers ed in a 18 months, set aside $20/month until you have the money. Insurance is going to cost you more than that. I know very few parents who can be give an unbiased assessment to their teen's driving abilities. The pros can, and will not recommend you go test if you aren't ready. And believe me, you can pass the test even if you aren't ready. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Absolutely. I think it is insane to pay the $750 they want around here. DD gets her permit at 16, learns to drive from her father and I and practices over two years and gets her license at 18. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 All three of mine have only had parent ed. My oldest and middle had Fl licenses and now the youngest still has a AL learner's permit, though she will go for the test soon. They all did a lot more driving with supervision than the courses ever had. LIke another poster said, bad weather conditions mean kid drives. While the two oldest had stupid car accidents years later, they weren't dangerous car accidents, just fender benders, and both are even safer drivers now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Not legal here in IL (for under 18.) You have to use a certified driving school. Many high schools offer drivers' ed, but it is not free. I think our high school offers it for $250. Their classes are very inflexible - you miss two, you have to start over. We ended up going with a private (and very expensive) school, mostly because we had our choice of class times and the option to make up missed classes. If we went with the public school, we would have a long wait to get into a class because we would be low priority since my kids weren't enrolled students. The private school required 50 hours classroom and 6 hours behind the wheel and 6 hours observing behind the wheel. Our state requires 50 hours of supervised driving with a permit before being allowed to take a drivers' test at 16. Many of the bigger city schools do not offer DE, partially due to budget and partially due to a bigger reliance on public transportation. Most city kids and those who cannot afford DE just get their licenses after turning 18 without taking a drivers' ed course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in SJ Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 here in CA (as it has already been mentioned) you must have drivers ed, the book or online based portion from a certified company. This costs $20-$60. A certificate from this company is required to go take the permit test. Once you have a permit in hand you must get 6 hours of behind the wheel instruction with a certified instructor. This costs $300-$450. After you receive the behind the wheel instruction you are required to log so many hours with a licenced driver, usually a parent. And a percentage of those hours are supposed to be night driving, after dark, but before 11pm. The public schools in my area do not offer this at all, but our charter school allows us to pay for it out of our instructional funds. Amber in SJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2att Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 My oldest took Driver's Ed with our state's virtual school for free. Obviously this was not practical driving experience, since it was online, but it was something. As far as actually teaching her to drive, she got her permit at 15 and spent almost year and a half driving with my husband and me. She got her license successfully at almost 16.5. Glad to live in a state that does not require a certified school! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 It's legal in Texas. You just have to use one of the programs that is approved by the state. I've taught my two older girls to drive using Driver Ed in a Box and I'll be starting with my youngest in a few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Depends on your state's requirements for getting a license before the age of 18. It's legal in TN but we chose to use a driving school as they have those extra set of brakes and an extra steering wheel, along with not be an emotional parent. It was pretty inexpensive. $350ish for 30 hours class time and 6 hours behind the wheel in one hour increments. You can buy extra hours for $35 each. Well worth it imho. And they're approved by many insurance companies for insurance discounts. I wish we had this around us. I would pay, it would be worth it. We are on child number 2 learning to drive. I'll never make all 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 I wish we had this around us. I would pay, it would be worth it. We are on child number 2 learning to drive. I'll never make all 5. I get that.... I only have two. I stopped with the first because it brought out the ugly in me. Dh still had to do plenty of driving with them but having specialized, tailored lessons from professionals really helped a lot, both for the boys and for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 In wa - an accredited driver's ed course is required to get a license before age 18. and if you want an insurance discount, they need driver's ed. we're also a mandatory insurance state - so no proof of insurance for your car, no test. we taught many driving lessons before they started driver's ed. while the classes are a classroom with lots of kids - the drive time is only one or two students in a car with the instructor. drive time is expected to be supplemented by parents or adult who has had a license for at least five years. they were supposed to do 100 hours of practice for the state to test them. (or maybe it was 50 and just seemed like 100). I could tell when my kids were ready to get their license, as there was just something "different" about they way they drove. Until they hit that point, they didn't get tested. there is also a six month probation period when they are not allowed to have minor non-relatives in the car. (unless there is an adult who has had a license at least five years) We had a "kid car" that was a four-speed manual. (my broke student dd is driving it most of the time) I liked the hand brake, as I could easily grab it if needed. my son did the most complaining about how irrelevant sticks are. my dd did the most gloating about knowing how when so many of her peers didn't. just yesterday I was reading an article about a guy who was carjacked. the thugs couldn't drive the manual transmission on his corvette and ended up leaving the car. (they couldn't even start it because you have to depress the clutch all. the. way.) eta: I'm not looking forward to dudeling learning. I'll be too old to handle it. Maybe his siblings will live around here, and I can make them take him out driving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excelsior! Academy Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Legal here in OK. I also didn't know it was illegal in some states. Another plug for National Driver Institute. Great company with excellent customer service! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Driving school here gives the discount on insurance..... it was expensive, but worth it to not have to put my nerves through that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 It depends on the state. In our state, you can do so if you 100% homeschool. We couldn't do it, because when our kids were high school age, they usually took a class or two (often just choir!) at the local PS. It disqualified them. We had friends who used Drivers Ed in a Box, or something like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 here in VA you have to take a certified class for the in-class part, and there is an approved computer based product on the homeschool buyers coop for that. the parents can do the in-the-car part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 Not in NH. You have to complete a certified driver's ed program to get a license under age 18. $450. To get licensed as a driving instructor, you have to take 3-5 courses at one particular college in the state. Seems like a racket to me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 To get licensed as a driving instructor, you have to take 3-5 courses at one particular college in the state. Seems like a racket to me! That doesn't mean a driving school will hire you. The driving teachers my boys had went through far more than that before they took kids out on the road on their own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elinor Everywhere Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 Legal here in AZ (what isn't?). I start teaching my dd in 2.5 months. Yikes!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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