Monday, May 7, 2012

Update on Tobin' s driving

Tobin is extremely cautious....which is a good thing....sometimes!  With my many years of driving experience I sometimes find myself impatient and can't decide if I should tell Tobin to hurry up or rather if I should tell myself to slow down.  Most of the time I end up saying nothing.  I like that Tobin takes a while to get the car up to 40 miles per hour, I like that he is good about putting on his blinker, I like that he has found his mojo when it comes to braking, and I like that he worries about his speed.  I had forgotten how much concentration it takes to drive. Even getting the car ready for driving-adjusting mirrors, seats, steering wheel, etc.  I see Tobin constantly assessing his speed against the speed limit; he's becoming aware of exactly what the mirrors show.

I'm not gonna lie and say I haven't yelled at Tobin, but for the most part I have been pretty proud of myself for keeping it together and NOT yelling as much as I thought I was going to.  I think I pre-empt it by saying things like, "There's a red light ahead" or "Don't forget that in the rain you need to brake more slowly than in normal weather" etc. 
Andy took Tobin on the highway for the first time this past weekend.  I wasn't quite ready for that so I was glad Andy didn't mind doing it.  Tobin felt he was ready though and I guess that's what counts.  He took him up north where the highways tend not to be as busy so Tobin was able to acclimate to the fast speeds of the highway without all that many cars around.  I am proud of Tobin for being so careful and cautious.  I know that I can leave him in the car without me and even if he goes a fraction faster, it will still be ok!