My biggest regret is not learning to drive before having kids :( help!

[cedarandfern43]

I don't think lockdown is helping the trapped at home feeling (not that I could go anywhere anyway) but I was set to look into learning to drive last March just before all this shit happened. I'm self employed and it's been such a rough year for my buisness we quickly used the small amount of savings we had set aside for life and driving lessons. A few months later we fell pregnant with DC2 and I'm due in early July. It was never a big deal for me before with my toddler DS as he was always happy to come on the bus with me and we live in quite a central area so enjoyed walking also. Since the pandemic hit in much more wary of taking the bus and only will if I have to. I've been thinking about how much harder it will be to do this when the new baby is here and how much I wish I could drive before he or she arrives. I want to be able to take baby to appointments etc with ease, take my DS to fun different, places (pandemic permitting).

I was looking into driving again this morning and feel so deflated, not only is the cost so expensive but finding the time to learn when lockdown is lifted (and I'm back to being busy with work) plus childcare just seems impossible.

Just looking for some reassurance on perhaps ideas on how you have made it work in your experience. I know there are worse problems to have and it's probably just the lockdown emotions and pregnancy hormones getting to me

My driving instructor was happy to let me bring my toddler on lessons. He had a child the same age, so there was a carseat installed. He said it was good to get used to driving with the baby, distractions, stress and all.

There’s no way I would have wanted my toddler there in the car for two hour driving lessons, but everyone is different and some children are more laidback than mine!

I managed to learn to drive while having a toddler, but he was looked after by his dad at the weekends while I drove.

I learnt when my eldest was 1 and I was preggers with DC2. I had an instructor who didn't need me to commit to a particular routine (just whenever I could squeeze in time), I did 2-hour lessons each time (which I felt helped me improve much more quickly), and the biggest thing...I learnt automatic! Waaaaay quicker and easier than my previous aborted attempts to learn manual. We bought an automatic car as soon as I passed and it's great - there's so much more choice nowadays and DH couldn't care less either way. Best of luck to you!

Thank you for the reassurance. Once lockdown is lifted I'm going to try and find a flexible driving instructor with weekend and evening space so I can squeeze it in around work. I'm planning on learning automatic for the quickness and we already bought a automatic car in the feb ready for me to learn in March which of course didn't go ahead x

Do you have a partner? There are plenty of options for evening and weekend lessons. Keep in mind that most people learning to drive are probably in school/college/uni so they aren't available during the day either. Also, does your partner have a license? If so, your dp can take you out to practice as a learner. It's free and you can take all the dc with you.

I learned driving automatic (grew up outside the UK and automatic was the norm there). I learned in the 2 weeks between passing my theory and the earliest I could schedule my test, no formal lessons, just practicing every day in the family car (with my mum). If your partner can drive, you can do much the same, and then with a partner around evenings and weekends, you should be able to manage lessons, assuming you can save up for them. I think it really will be easier than you are thinking it will be, and you're right, it will make life much simpler as getting out with 2 young dc is not easy.