Working parents — driving is driving me mad…

[Anonymous]

Can they ride bikes if they can’t walk? I don’t think I would do the drop off and pick up if we are in a walk zone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe find a safe spot to drop them off half mile away and have them walk the rest. Same with finding a safe pick up spot at end of day. Will help you avoid lines. Whenever my kid needed to be picked up I had her meet me at nearby plaza. Those carpool lines are the worst.

I don’t ever go into the carpool circle. My kids get in and out down the street.

[Anonymous]

Honestly it all got too much for me and I almost had a breakdown. You can do clubs/ sports at school where you stay after but no more evening activities. My kids are tweens and teens and dropped everything when the youngest was 6.

Unless they are an elite athletes, colleges don’t care. So drop that argument. You kids sound average, this stuff won’t help them.

[Anonymous]

When I was a kid my mom would drop me off early so she could go to work. Can your kids get dropped off early and study in the library until school starts?

[Anonymous]

How old are the kids? Can they walk or ride their bikes home? My kid is 11 and school is about 2 miles away and he will bike/walk home sometimes. That could eliminate one trip.

Also ditto just drop them off a block or so from the school they can walk that far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean,maybe drop some of the evening activities?

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly it all got too much for me and I almost had a breakdown. You can do clubs/ sports at school where you stay after but no more evening activities. My kids are tweens and teens and dropped everything when the youngest was 6.

Unless they are an elite athletes, colleges don’t care. So drop that argument. You kids sound average, this stuff won’t help them.

No, if your kids dont do ANYTHING that really hurts them. We aren’t aiming for elite athlete to Ivy, but having nothing knocks you down further.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know the kid shuffling is epic in middle and high school years, but I am just losing it.

First off, our district expanded walk zones to a ridiculous amount and eliminated buses, so we (and most other parents) do car drop off and pickup. There is a huge slow carline, so dropping off/picking up each kid takes 20 mins per kid, morning and afternoon. So there’s a 7am and 8am drop off, then a 230om and 330pm pickup. We don’t live near any friends to carpool with —- I have not yet started knocking door to door to find a carpool but considering it.

That’s the baseline.

Then there’s the afternoon activities for 2 kids — Monday they both have music lessons, one @ 5, the other kid @ 7 with different locations (diff instruments and teachers). Then there is sports practice, just rec, 2x week and no luck starting a carpool there, @ 5pm. Then there is meeting with the math tutor once a week, at 6 pm.

We don’t even do much, but I feel my day is constantly interrupted by the need to drive a kid somewhere. We are not rich enough to afford a driving nanny or Au pair, and I know kids need to do these things as it’s healthy for them and helps with later college options. But I can’t wait until they drive themselves or the cars drive for me….

My work profit suffers, since I work an early shift starting at 6am so I am off for the afternoon shuffle. I would prefer to work a more normal day.

More of a vent. I know this is just a phase of life.

Be careful what you wish for with carpooling. If you choose unwisely (or wisely at first and it deteriorates), you end up with people who are chronically late (and then your kid is late), dealing with last min changes among families, cancellations at last minute, and then if/when the kids have "issues" uncomfortable car rides.

My kid is driving by early fall and I cannot wait not to be tethered to #$%# carpools. It wasn't always this way but as they got older, it has become so unpleasant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know the kid shuffling is epic in middle and high school years, but I am just losing it.

First off, our district expanded walk zones to a ridiculous amount and eliminated buses, so we (and most other parents) do car drop off and pickup. There is a huge slow carline, so dropping off/picking up each kid takes 20 mins per kid, morning and afternoon. So there’s a 7am and 8am drop off, then a 230om and 330pm pickup. We don’t live near any friends to carpool with —- I have not yet started knocking door to door to find a carpool but considering it.

That’s the baseline.

Then there’s the afternoon activities for 2 kids — Monday they both have music lessons, one @ 5, the other kid @ 7 with different locations (diff instruments and teachers). Then there is sports practice, just rec, 2x week and no luck starting a carpool there, @ 5pm. Then there is meeting with the math tutor once a week, at 6 pm.

We don’t even do much, but I feel my day is constantly interrupted by the need to drive a kid somewhere. We are not rich enough to afford a driving nanny or Au pair, and I know kids need to do these things as it’s healthy for them and helps with later college options. But I can’t wait until they drive themselves or the cars drive for me….

My work profit suffers, since I work an early shift starting at 6am so I am off for the afternoon shuffle. I would prefer to work a more normal day.

More of a vent. I know this is just a phase of life.

This is why I'm a stay at home mom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can they ride bikes if they can’t walk? I don’t think I would do the drop off and pick up if we are in a walk zone.

Riding bikes to/from school is clearly the solution. If you do not really want to solve the problem and were just coming on here to vent, then that is a different matter. These years will pass, and your kids will be driving themselves soon!

[Anonymous]

I would reconsider letting them walk to school. I don't see a problem with middle/high school-aged kids walking on the sidewalk of a 4 lane road. I also don't find that distance a problem. My kids were walking 1.8 miles to and from school when they reached middle school. If you're really worried, you can use Find my Friends to track them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know the kid shuffling is epic in middle and high school years, but I am just losing it.

First off, our district expanded walk zones to a ridiculous amount and eliminated buses, so we (and most other parents) do car drop off and pickup. There is a huge slow carline, so dropping off/picking up each kid takes 20 mins per kid, morning and afternoon. So there’s a 7am and 8am drop off, then a 230om and 330pm pickup. We don’t live near any friends to carpool with —- I have not yet started knocking door to door to find a carpool but considering it.

That’s the baseline.

Then there’s the afternoon activities for 2 kids — Monday they both have music lessons, one @ 5, the other kid @ 7 with different locations (diff instruments and teachers). Then there is sports practice, just rec, 2x week and no luck starting a carpool there, @ 5pm. Then there is meeting with the math tutor once a week, at 6 pm.

We don’t even do much, but I feel my day is constantly interrupted by the need to drive a kid somewhere. We are not rich enough to afford a driving nanny or Au pair, and I know kids need to do these things as it’s healthy for them and helps with later college options. But I can’t wait until they drive themselves or the cars drive for me….

My work profit suffers, since I work an early shift starting at 6am so I am off for the afternoon shuffle. I would prefer to work a more normal day.

More of a vent. I know this is just a phase of life.

This is why I'm a stay at home mom.

Well aware if we had more money this would be a solved problem, you are definitely living the dream by avoid the working parent juggle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can they ride bikes if they can’t walk? I don’t think I would do the drop off and pick up if we are in a walk zone.

Riding bikes to/from school is clearly the solution. If you do not really want to solve the problem and were just coming on here to vent, then that is a different matter. These years will pass, and your kids will be driving themselves soon!

The bike idea is very interesting -- they have kinda nice bikes though, so I am worried about getting stolen. Maybe should invest in a beater from a flea market...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly it all got too much for me and I almost had a breakdown. You can do clubs/ sports at school where you stay after but no more evening activities. My kids are tweens and teens and dropped everything when the youngest was 6.

Unless they are an elite athletes, colleges don’t care. So drop that argument. You kids sound average, this stuff won’t help them.

Wow, what clubs and sports can they do at school? Ours are only cut sports -- so if you haven't been taking tennis lessons or travel soccer since age 6, you are very unlikely to make the team.

[Anonymous]

Can they do music through the school (or if they are younger, wait until school offers it)? That seems like something that can be eliminated…