Learning to drive is a big deal for any teenager, but it can be stressful for everyone involved. Whether it’s due to a teen that won’t listen or an already stressed out parent, the lessons can soon lead to fights and tears. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be this way. There are things you can do to make this important life step easier. Here are just five tips for maintaining your sanity while teaching your teen to drive.

Set Some Rules

First of all, you need to set some rules and these aren’t just rules for the teen. The first rule should be if either party is under stress from work or school (or teen romance), the lesson should be put off until another day. It doesn’t do anyone any good to teach and learn under these conditions. Also, you should make the rule that the teen must listen to you or the lesson will be over immediately. Last, but not least, there will be no yelling. Screaming at each other doesn’t make the lesson go any easier.

Schedule Lessons When You Have Time

The next tip is to make sure you have time for the lesson. Trying to teach you teen how to drive when the game is on in 30 minutes isn’t fair for the teen. You need to schedule a lesson when you have plenty of free time. This ensures that the lesson isn’t rushed and will prevent both parties from becoming frustrated.

Break the Process Into Steps

Another great tip is to avoid trying to teach your teen everything at once. You need to break down the process so that she can work on a couple of things during each lesson. For example, the first lesson might begin with adjusting the seat, checking the mirrors, and other road safety tips.

Don’t Overwhelm Your Teen

You cannot expect your teen to know everything or for him to learn everything at once. Some lessons may need to be repeated a couple times, such as learning to change gears. If you see your teen start to get frustrated, work on something else for the rest of the lesson and come back to that step at another time.

Be Patient

Last, but not least, you need to be patient when teaching your teen to drive. Yes, she will make mistakes. She will miss a gear. It’s all part of the learning process and you need to accept that.

Teaching your teen to drive can be one of the most stressful things you’ll ever teach him. However, it can also be very rewarding. Best of all, thanks to these tips, you can teach your teen to drive while maintaining your sanity.

About the Author: Loralee Burdon is the mother of a teenage daughter and plans to teach her to drive herself. She’s already downloaded some DMV cheat sheets to prepare herself for helping her daughter with her written test and has already located several empty lots for those first driving lessons!