Ahhhh, the stage that nobody warns you about when you have kids. The part where your knees hit the pavement. The part where your stress is fully activated. The part where your heart sinks to the pit of your stomach and worry is a daily thing. This is the beginning stage of all of it. Not the newborn or toddler stage, or even preteen. This. All of this. The thought of them out on their own driving, hoping they learn everything they need to know about road and car safety. Learning how to be a defensive driver. Knowing exactly what to do in inclement weather and how to handle bad roads and bad drivers, or Heaven forbid, car wrecks. It's a lot for any parent. Trust is huge. Trusting them to make the right decisions and trusting others to do the same is a constant fear. Permits are the start of a long chain of never-ending thoughts that haunt parents. We knew this day would come, but there is something about the moment actually being here that feels so much different. Having your second and last baby go through this milestone hits a little differently as well. It's a bit bittersweet. With a permit, there are rules. He will be working on getting his 40 hours of daytime driving and 10 hours of nighttime driving in. Let the games begin...or the stress levels skyrocket, whichever. Congratulations, Liam, and good luck!
