Teen driving - I'm so bad at being passenger

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Like every awful stereotype! lm absolutely terrified, not good for him at all. He's never done anything wrong, very sensible. Why am I so bad? I'm fairly chill otherwise!

Have they passed their test or just learning?

my nerves couldn’t stand when they were learning to drive, was a bit nervous to start with after they passed their test but once hey had proved to be confident drivers I’m quite happy to be a passenger. It just takes time, I do prefer to be the driver.

I wonder if it’s a mixture: you like to be in control and now you are not plus maybe you are not a chill relaxed mum in general.

I was the same. It was horrible and I hated going out with her. I always thought I would be a chill parent but turns out I very much was not.

Thankfully, it gets easier and I'm not too controlling terrified now

I am a terrible passenger and no way could I sit with my DD whilst she was learning. But since she's passed I've been fine - mainly because she sticks religiously to the speed limits. I've realised very few people do.

When DD was learning, I described it as the white knuckle ride. I asked her instructor to tell me when he thought that she was reasonably safe to drive a car without dual controls. She wanted to go out every evening and I clung to the door handle every time. Hated it!

I couldn't bear to in the car with my daughter when she was learning to drive. Every time my husband went out he came home a nervous wreck. She has recently passed her test and I can't still can let her drive me, She is 29!

All mine only had driving lessons with an instructor never took them out ourselves. Don't think they should when learning as you don't have dual controls.

I remember when my son( now in thirties) was learning he had his own car and would drive to school and I'd drive home and drive back at the end of the day. I tried to relax and not let him see my hand gripping the seat and my foot pressing an invisible brake, sometimes I'd do an involuntary sharp intake of breath, the whole thing was terrifying to start off. He soon became a very good driver, has owned several very powerful high performance cars, I've occasionally been in one with him and felt perfectly safe.

I was so horrendous I said I couldn't do it any more. Dh did it, he was totally chill.

She passed first time and seems to be a very good driver now!

Christ I'm 40 and my mum is devoted to the invisible brakes in my car to this day 😁

In my experience it does get better. In our case my daughter's going out with me in what will become her car when she passes which is much older than her instructor's car, no hill assist etc. So it's been a learning curve. I am also a terrible front seat driver anyway! But it has got much better with time and I'm learning to relax more as she gets more confident

Thanks everyone. He's learning but he's done the required number of lessons (12 here - not in UK). He's ready for his test but his instructor said he needs practice to boost confidence. He's never done anything wrong but I'm a mess.

Ordinarily I see myself as a chill Mum, we have a good open relationship... No one is as surprised as me that I'm so bad at this. I literally had my eyes screwed shut!

That'll be me! God my Mum still doesn't to me at 53!

I am exactly the same. To be fair I hate being in a car with anyone else driving at all. I need to feel completely in control. 🙈