Anyone helped a grandson/daughter to afford driving lessons?

Family members taught me to drive with two professional lessons to make sure I was conforming to test requirements that was 60 years ago! I didn't pay for GSs lessons, I paid for his insurance when he bought a car this year, would have been cheaper paying for lessons!

Yes, we paid for our grandson's driving lessons for his 18th birthday.

I've helped 2 of my grandchildren so far. I have seven in total but my eldest granddaughter has no interest in cars and has motorbike. So, 3 of them taken care of and another 4 years before the next one is ready for driving lessons. I felt once I committed to fund one I had to commit for them all. Then 3 years after that for the next 2 and luckily the youngest is only 2 so it will be a while before I have to worry about him.

I so wish I’d learned to drive when I was 17. I passed my test the second time when I was about 28 and I’ve never been as confident as my two daughters who both passed their tests at 17. It’s a useful skill to have but I’ve never enjoyed being behind the wheel.

Cabbie 21

Think I'd better start saving, had no idea lessons could be £40 per hr as mentioned. When I was learning I think I paid £12 for a 2 hr lesson!!!

My parents paid for me and my sister. We did the same for our children.
My GC are still small so no idea but I would help each one out if needed.

DS1is qualified as a driving instructor and he taught his niece to drive in 2022 when she was 17 , she passed her test first time and has her own little car .
Last October DS son was 17 and his dad didn’t do actual lessons with him, both his parents made him drive wherever he needed to go while they rode shotgun. He drove 30 miles to college each day and 10 miles to his apprenticeship twice a week . He passed his test first time eight weeks after his birthday ! He has his own little runaround but the insurance is astronomical.

My granddaughter is 17 in a couple of days time. We are going g to buy some driving lessons as a birthday present.
She got a holiday job during the summer, which she has continued at weekends and after school so she has savings to use on the lessons too.

I would if they were older enough lol my oldest is only 12 but I do have money put aside for them for when they are older which I thought could help to go towards a car etc they don’t know I’ve got it but they dads do who have also got savings put aside for them never asked in-laws so I don’t see an issue if you can afford it

stewaris

I've helped 2 of my grandchildren so far. I have seven in total but my eldest granddaughter has no interest in cars and has motorbike. So, 3 of them taken care of and another 4 years before the next one is ready for driving lessons. I felt once I committed to fund one I had to commit for them all. Then 3 years after that for the next 2 and luckily the youngest is only 2 so it will be a while before I have to worry about him.

You should encourage her to take up driving it’s something I never got round to because I was too busy loving my bike 🏍️ too. So I understand where she is at and unless you ride you won’t really get the buzz

I have helped eldest Granson with his driving lessons. Did not have to for long as he passed his test quickly.
I also pay for his Gym subscriptions monthly. I think it is money well spent.

We paid for ours to have driving lessons as my birthday present to me on my 70 th birthday 🤣

Husband is a driving lesson and has had a learner at 16 he certainly didn’t charge forty pounds!! Just the current rate. He’s teaching two of our grandsons at the moment to drive

Driving lesson? Meant driving instructor lol -phone changed words again!

#Nannashirlz I've tried to encourage her to drive but she says she likes her bike too much. However, she was working down England for a number of years but now she's back in Scotland, and it's freezing, she will change her mind, hopefully.

I have 3 grandsons and when the first 2 reached 17 I paid for them to have a course of lessons. If they wanted more they had to pay for them but neither did as they both took their test and passed first time. My third grandson was given the same offer but has no interest in learning, However we do live in London and none of them need a car as public transport is so good. If you can afford it I would offer, if it would be a struggle then there is no obligation.

If you can afford it why not?
Doesn't seem a choice to debate about to me.

Yes do it. Both my grandfathers were old school skinflints and neither helped me. One grandfather said when he was 18 all he got was an organge, and that driving lessons were extravagant. I kind of envy all these people to day who have had help from grandparents. I did not learn till I was 45 and it was a pass after 8 attempts.

Karma visited both grandparents. I refused to go shopping or accompany either of them to hospital when they became infirm

I was lucky enough to have a Granddad who had been a driving instructor so had lessons as my 17th birthday present from him, although he was retired by then. My daughter paid for her own lessons with a part time job, though I loaned her money to pay for blocks of lessons. My son didn't learn to drive until much later as he cycled everywhere and was in his late 20's when he learnt when driving became a necessity.
I've opened a savings account for my grandson and put an amount in each month by standing order. I am about to open one for my granddaughter too. By the time they need to learn to drive there should be enough to pay for lessons but they can spend it however they wish. The money my mother saved for my daughter paid for her first car while I think my son's went towards his wedding.

I gave my eldest GS the money to pay for 10 lessons. Although he had to take the theory test 3 times he passed the test itself after only 13 lessons. I have another 3 teenage grandchildren who will get the same when their time comes although my GD says she doesn't want to learn as she prefers to be chauffeured around!!! I expect she will change he mind.

songstress60 - your post made me sad and made me smile. As I’ve said in another post……Why do old people scrimp and save, when they can help out their children/grandchildren ? I honestly don’t understand that.

In the past I do not think parents and grandparents had the money to help grandchildren, even when they had professional jobs.

We paid for our children to learn to drive as soon as they were old enough because we felt it was an essential skill to have and as circumstances have meant that we are well off in retirement and our son has a very satisfying, but not hugely well paid job, we will pay for our grandchildren to learn.

Yes. Two done, 5 to go. We pay a large whack, their parents the rest.

We opened saving accounts when they were born and instead of birthday gifts, paid in the cost of a driving lesson each year. At 17 they had 17 lessons (well not quite. interest on savings did not keep up)