Monday, August 18, 2008

Advice Anyone????

Sometimes I don't know how to read my son.

This summer he's been Mr. Independent, traveling to various places with choir and youth groups. He's had a great time and I think the opportunities have been so good for him in so many ways.

That's why I'm a little stumped right now.

Last year when he got his learner's permit to drive, he aced the test. Didn't miss a single question. I've been telling him for a month to be reading up on the manual because he needed to take his test to get a restricted license. Told me he did. Thought that he did. Guess he really didn't.

Friday I took him to renew since I was off work. He took the written test and missed seven questions, two too many to get his license renewed. I was stunned.

Lately he's been fighting me on his driving. I'd kept my previous car when I bought my new one a couple of years ago just so he'd have a car to drive when ready. Only thing is the old car that is to be my son's is a manual transmission, and he learned on an automatic. I figured no problem, since I eventually learned how to drive a stick and loved it. Ah, the control. Ah, the power.

Wait, was that a cop I just passed?

Anyway, I get the teeniest feeling he failed on purpose. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but it is quite interesting how he went from Mr. Ace to Mr. Failure in the span of one year. Next month when he turns 16 he'll be getting his first job. I guess he'll have to walk to work and home again. Maybe then he'll rethink his attitude. Maybe then he'll actually see the benefit to driving himself. Cause let me tell you - this mother isn't going to be driving him.

Yeah, there's probably some fear there of the unknown. Maybe walking will renew the thirst to learn. One can only hope.

I'm open to advice!

2 comments:

Pamela J Pierce, RDN, LD said...

Denise,Riley failed his written test the first time as he put too much thought into the questions thinking they were trying to stump him when the answers were the same as previous questions on the test. Don't read too much into it. Give him another chance or sometime he might just open up to you if you just don't get to worried about it. I do that also, and last night Riley confided in me something that was bothering him that I saw on his face the other night. (He had a look of being upset about something). I think they are alot alike. Take him back as soon as possible and maybe that will show you have confidence in him even if he is a bit unsure of himself.

Denise said...

I guess that's why this was such a shocker for me because he'd done so well last year on the written test. We're planning to go back as soon as I can make arrangements to leave work early. That's part of the problem here.

Yeah, I think that's why he likes hanging out with Riley so much when we've been with you guys. They seem to be on the same wave-length in alot of their interests. Their humor capacity is so similar too, not that I understand much of that.