Driver's ed: homeschool or lessons?

Gosh, our folks pointed out to my sister and I before we could drive that when turning you stay in the lane you were traveling in - and it's in all the state drivers manuals. What kills me is the one I had to teach my mom, that you can't change lanes when you are traveling in an intersection, you have to do it between intersections. This might seem obvious, but it is less so when you are traveling on the main drag.

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We taught our oldest son to drive and he has done just fine. I guess he learned all he "great" driving skills from practicing on the riding lawn mower.......now I just need to get him out of peoples yards.

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When I got my license Im pretty sure it was required that you take behind the wheel with an instructor. Either way assuming I have the stomach and patience for teaching my children I will AND they will do behind the wheel with a professional. Im sure there is something more they could learn from a professional then they could from me. I sure know my parents didnt know all the rules and I gained a lot by practicing with someone else like turning into your own lane. Which by the way is my BIGGEST pet peeve. There is always a right or wrong lane to turn in and Im amazed at how many people dont get that. When you have 1 left turn lane (going into a 2 lane rd) you turn into the LEFT lane-NOT the right. In a perfect world someone should be able to turn left into their lane and at the same time someone else should be able to turn right onto the same road into the right lane. Keep traffic moving. Its not hard people.

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In Maryland it is required to have lessons from a state-certified driving school. My aunt taught me, so when I took the class it was a breeze. The state required 6 hours of driving with the instructor, and she had me run errands with her because she knew I had been driving for six months already.

I will probably teach my daughter and let the driving school follow up. I'm obnoxious when it comes to driving properly (except for speed limits) and obeying the courtesies of the road, so I'll probably get the job before my wife will!

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I do think having a driving teacher is the best way if only for the "patience." My husband would have yelled his head off and I would have had to install a brake on my side of the car. When I learned to drive a stick shift, my brother in law taught me. My husband and I would have killed each other.

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I have boy/girl twins that will be 16 this coming January & I think that a professional driving instructor is definately the way to go. I've found that most teenagers think their parents are stupid & therefore don't pay close attention to their parents advise. I think my kids would learn more from a driving instructor.
When I took my drivers test, which was many years ago, a state cop rode in the car & administered the test but in my kids high school the Drivers Ed teacher gives the students the road test during the day at school. If they pass the kids are given a slip to take to the DMV where all they do is pick up their license. The intimidation factor of a state trooper riding with them can leave a lasting impression, it did for me anyway.
My son is a very good driver, my daughter however is more concerned about how she looks driving & who sees her, typical teenage girl I suppose. Both of them will go through a professional driving program before they are turned loose in a car by themselves.

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In NJ it's mandatory to do six hours with a certified driving school. It is in NY, too, and several other states.

I didn't get a ton out of it, though I'm sure that's because my instructor was a really big creeper (I kid you not, he had an electric razor and was SHAVING HIS FACE as I went over a bridge during my second lesson). I mostly just practiced with my mom, and I'm doing okay .. I've had my license for a year and a half and never had an accident or a ticket.

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