After your driver gets their learner permit, they’ll need to spend 44 hours in the car learning and practicing. But those 44 hours aren’t a monolith: they’re divided into 7 hours in-car observation time, 7 hours behind-the-wheel instruction time, and 30 hour behind-the-wheel practice time.
Here’s how the requirements for Parent Taught Drivers Ed shake out:
Don’t forget to record all of the hours in the appropriate log! These will go with you to the DMV when it’s time for your child to get their license.
30 Ways to Spend Your 30 Hours of Driving Practice Time
So you’re going to be stuck in the car practicing driving with your teen for 30 whole hours. That’s a lot of trips to HEB! Here are 30 fun ways to spend your driving practice time.
Go out for ice cream.
Take a mini road trip.
Scour your area for new dog parks, then enjoy watching the pups frolic.
Impromptu beach trip!
Visit a plant store you’ve never been to before and treat yourself to a new plant friend.
Go to the movie theater alllll the way across town.
Drive the younger siblings to soccer practice, violin lessons, ballet, art camp, gymnastics, and swim team. Dang, these little squirts are busy!
Listen to the special spotify playlist you made together for driving practice [link].
More ice cream. Get a sundae this time.
Visit family who live out of town. To make it extra exciting, don’t tell them you’re coming, just show up.
Drive around the parking lot of the dying mall.
Offer a “free Lyft” service to friends and family.
Find out just how far the highway closest to your house actually goes.
Go to the hardware store and help yourself to unlimited free paint swatches.
You simply can’t have too much ice cream in your life.
Where does the sidewalk end? Time to find out!
Listen to the Game of Thrones audiobook. That’s got to be at least 30 hours long, right?
Drive to every thrift store in town. Make it a contest to find the weirdest item under $5.
Pizza party!
Why pay for Six Flags when you’re required to spend two hours practicing turnabouts?
Drive to a farm and go apple picking. Or strawberry picking. Or peach picking. Or potato picking. Look, not every season is going to be peak fruit picking season — work with what you’ve got.
I scream, you scream, we all scream for literally anything other than more ice cream. How about a taco truck run?
Find a roller rink and show your kid how you used to win limbo back in the day.
Check out your local minor league baseball team. After the game might be a good chance to practice night driving.
Find out who your kid’s crush is and practice parallel parking outside their house.
Check in on older neighbors or friends and offer to do their grocery run for the week.
If you look hard enough, you’re bound to find a used bookstore you’ve never been to before.
Drive around the fancy neighborhood and go into open houses pretending you’re house shopping. Bonus points for silly accents.
Go to a comic convention, toy fair, ren fest, or sci-fi convention and admire the incredible cosplay.
Drive to the DMV and take that driving test, because y’all did it! 30 hours in the log!
Haven’t purchased Texas Parent Taught Drivers Ed yet?