When my husband was asked if he would help teach twin granddaughters how to parallel park, he immediately yelled, “Yes!” If there was a parallel parking competition, my husband could take first place — unless our son entered the competition, then he’d take first place.

Our son lived in Chicago for 10 years and none of his apartment buildings had a parking garage. In such cases, you either learn to parallel park or leave the city. That’s why all the suburbs keep mushrooming.

The twins’ first parallel parking lesson involved a tiny yellow passenger car, an itty bitty red truck and a miniature Batmobile on the sidewalk in front of the house. The instructor maneuvered the little yellow car, demonstrating how to pull forward, align rear bumpers with the little red truck, put the car in reverse, turn sharp as you back up, then turn sharp in the opposite direction, and back up again, careful not to hit the Batmobile.

The lesson went well until the little yellow car lost traction, toppled off the sidewalk and tumbled into the grass.

I learned to parallel park in a maroon '69 Ford XL, a vehicle similar in size to an Army tank. The car didn’t have a backup camera, but it had an AM push-button radio, parking brake, ashtray, cigarette lighter and windows you rolled down manually. It also had side view mirrors, but I was so short I could hardly see them.

I was more shocked than anyone when I parallel parked without hopping the curb or hitting the car behind me and got my driver’s license on the first try. It was an event just short of feeding the 5,000 with only two fish and five loaves.

When the husband promoted the twins to parallel parking in a real vehicle that could seat humans and not just Lego people, everyone had their fingers crossed — for the girls and for the vehicles.

They were to parallel park their mother’s car behind their father’s car and in front of their grandparents’ car. More than $130,000 in vehicles were at risk in the interest of parallel parking.

As the student drivers, their instructor and onlookers took their places, there appeared to be more lengthy instruction sessions happening in the car, each followed by a not-so-successful parking attempt. More instructions, more attempts.

After considerable time, it looked like the girls were getting the hang of it although the sun was now down, and it was pitch dark and hard to see.

The important thing to remember is that practice makes perfect.

The second most important thing to remember is that when a parallel parking spot appears impossible, keep driving — eventually you’ll find a spot you can manage.

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