Every dad's duty

Rilot said:
While we were out at Longleat yesterday, driving on the private roads around the estate, I let my 6-year-old girl sit on my knee and steer while I did the pedals and gears. She loved it and now keeps asking me when she can drive my car again.
This was the norm when I was a kid. Sitting on dad's knee and driving the car was a right of passage for every child. These days though it seems to be unusual and in fact when I told some friends of mine, they were taken aback as if I'd done something very irresponsible.

So, did you guys drive like that with your dads? What car did you drive?

For me, it was a 1975 Rover P6 3500S which I drove on Braunton Burrows while my dad did the pedals. I recall nearly running my mother over.
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I hope you told them they are a bunch of old PC twits? I will be doing exactly the same with my kids given the opportunity of said large field :) They have already ridden my old motorbike in/out of the garage "helping" steer ;) and have sat on my lap whilst I moved the car off the drive. Not let them have a proper play yet though. Nice one. :)
 
yeah I use to drive everytime we went camping. Dad let me drive around the fields (well out the way of anyone). Although it was only a maxi then a lada.
 
Did the same from the passenger seat when driving down my road with my Dads Mk1 Mondeo when I was 6/7? First drove a car properly on private grounds (set out as a road - some training ground for learners before they drove on the road?) when I was 13.
 
Yup. Was probably in either the Maestro Advantage (British Racing Green and cream alloys :p ) or Rover 214 we'd have had at the time (early-mid 90s).
 
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Black Rock Sands in North Wales (of Top Gear 'press car stuck in sand' fame), dads 2.0 Passat Estate, me sitting on my dads lap steering whilst he did the gears. Awesome at the time, one of the few things I can remember from when I was that young!
 
Rilot said:
While we were out at Longleat yesterday, driving on the private roads around the estate, I let my 6-year-old girl sit on my knee and steer while I did the pedals and gears. She loved it and now keeps asking me when she can drive my car again.
This was the norm when I was a kid. Sitting on dad's knee and driving the car was a right of passage for every child. These days though it seems to be unusual and in fact when I told some friends of mine, they were taken aback as if I'd done something very irresponsible.

So, did you guys drive like that with your dads? What car did you drive?

For me, it was a 1975 Rover P6 3500S which I drove on Braunton Burrows while my dad did the pedals. I recall nearly running my mother over.
Click to expand...

I've done this with my son when he was one and a half. He loved it :)
 
Andr3w said:
I'd sit on my dads knee and steer/drive the car into the garage while he did the pedals! I will be doing the same for my kids
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Yup I used to steer my dads XJS into the garage :D I'll certainly get my children to do similar whenever the chance arrives.
 
Various Vauxhalls throughout the late eighties. Scares me to think now that I would be controlling the wheel on relatively straight country lanes whilst he was packing/cleaning his pipe or drinking a can or ale. Still there were also other great times like playing 'chase the train', moments like these are to be treasured.
 
Andr3w said:
I'd sit on my dads knee and steer/drive the car into the garage while he did the pedals! I will be doing the same for my kids
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Did the same with both my boys and will do the same with my 2 year old girl when shes big enough..
I also did same with my dad when i was around 12..
We had an old air field near us that has a driving centre on it..used to drive around in my dads bedford HA van..
all was good till we went round in reverse.. supervisor went nuts.. couldnt see the point in learning how to go backwards ...
almost ended in fisticuffs :D
 
Yep, have done this with my son, as my dad did with me.

A couple of differences being, i drove my dad's Jensen Interceptor, Lotus Cortina, Sierra 4x4 etc etc, my son gets to drive an astra!

My dad let me drive on our local roads when sat on his knee, obviously i let my son steer/ change gear when there is no danger to us or anyone else.

I think the coolest thing was when my dad brought home the Unimog 407 from work, we went on the moors and he let me have a real blast about in it.

couldnt do those things now i dont think.:(
 
Drinking at 7? that a tickle too young. The driving i agree with though. I Drove my dads Rangerover 2.5TD. at about 8
 
Drove my dad's selection of cars around the car park at his office, best fun ever :cool:

Not 100% on age but definitely <10
 
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