SoInspired

How I Spent My Weekend. My sweet friend, Angie, sent me a link to this FREE driving class. Our school district no longer offers driver's ed. Thinking back on it, and taking a poll with most of my co-workers, we concluded that we learned very little in driver's ed and mostly learned from our parents. However, if you want a discount on your car insurance for your teenager, they have to take a driving class. Toyota, as part of their community service efforts, offers these periodic, nationwide driving classes. The class is called Toyota Driving Expectations. My son and I were lucky enough to secure a spot for Sunday's four-hour class. Ah, the life of a teenage mother, or should I say, the life of a mother of a teenager. I brought books, magazines and a crossword. BLISS! However, when we arrived, we were told that the parents were in a class of their own. We learned how to be better driving coaches. It really was a great experience. I love being surrounded by positive, bubbly people and the Toyota staff certainly was. My son had a blast. They watered down the payment and had the kids drive 40 mph and then slam on the brakes. They got to experience ABS brakes! For a teenage boy, it's fun. The parents were off in their own class. We got to drive too. Ours was a driving distraction class (the teens drove this one too). We had to dial a cellphone while turning corners, open a water bottle, etc. Yikes, I missed a few signs, ran over a cone and learned that I need to watch out for my own driving distractions. I wish every teenager and parents of teenagers could take this course.