No, we at Modern Driver Institute don’t actually teach toddlers how to drive.  We won’t train anyone under the age of 16 behind the wheel.  But as parents, you’ve been teaching your child to drive all of her life.

Think about how children learn other things.  They learn to walk, talk, eat with utensils and every other skill by watching us, their families.  They learn by mimicking our behaviors.  And they’re in their car seats in the back of the family sedan, watching you drive.  And they’re learning.

When your child turns 16 and begins serious training to get their license, they’re starting off with a set of learned behaviors conjured from a lifetime of watching mom and dad drive them around.  Everything you do behind the wheel can become a part of their driving.  Do you roll through stop signs?  Drive aggressively?  Give in to distractions (say, talk on the phone)?  If you routinely yell at other drivers, roll through stop signs or speed, your kids will do it too.

Set the best example you can, be as consistent as possible, and start as young as possible.  It’ll all pay off when your teen is driving.