Activities drop off or wait around depending on commute

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I normally go for a walk, do my work on my iPad, run errands, get groceries, catch up with friends on phone or facetime, audiobooks etc. My DH inevitably takes a nap especially in winter. My kids participate in tournaments that can last for a whole day.

My minivan is fully stocked - camp chair, blankets, pillows, hats, parka, umbrella, cooler, reusable grocery bags, books. And no, I do not leave my kids and come home. I am always close by.

I’m talking about 13-16 year olds. They often walk around town by themselves and have phones.

[Anonymous]

I walk, run an errand nearby or read/work on the laptop in the car, typically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all the replies! My spouse thought I was crazy staying but now I know I’m at least rationale.

Yeah go for walks or gym are options I do as well.

Why recs for other Wi-Fi places besides Sbux, Panera, WF, library, and McDonalds? Esp in Bethesda and Tysons area…

I just hotspot off my phone.

[Anonymous]

I prefer to go home. But I’m an introvert and also frugal. I’d rather have my AC and free wifi and switch the laundry and start dinner.

All the parents that leave for practice at 5pm, sit there from 5:30-7:30 and get home at 8pm multiple nights a week, do you ever eat dinner at home? Or it’s just never ending takeout?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I prefer to go home. But I’m an introvert and also frugal. I’d rather have my AC and free wifi and switch the laundry and start dinner.

All the parents that leave for practice at 5pm, sit there from 5:30-7:30 and get home at 8pm multiple nights a week, do you ever eat dinner at home? Or it’s just never ending takeout?

We just eat at 830. Kid won’t eat befoee practice, and we can wait.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all the replies! My spouse thought I was crazy staying but now I know I’m at least rationale.

Yeah go for walks or gym are options I do as well.

Why recs for other Wi-Fi places besides Sbux, Panera, WF, library, and McDonalds? Esp in Bethesda and Tysons area…

I just hotspot off my phone.

Do you have an RV with a table or something? I prefer to work sitting with a table. Hotspot for our work has limits and I need to remote access many machines.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I prefer to go home. But I’m an introvert and also frugal. I’d rather have my AC and free wifi and switch the laundry and start dinner.

All the parents that leave for practice at 5pm, sit there from 5:30-7:30 and get home at 8pm multiple nights a week, do you ever eat dinner at home? Or it’s just never ending takeout?

We just eat at 830. Kid won’t eat befoee practice, and we can wait.

That would be so draining for me, but for people who like it, good for them!

[Anonymous]

Thankfully, DD only has Mondays where she's out for 2 1/2 hours. When it's still light out, I go for a walk, and then do groceries, read a book or listen to an audiobook, watch something I have downloaded on Netflix, etc. When it's dark out, I usually go get Costco gas (which kills a good 30 minutes), go to the specialty grocers I wouldn't otherwise get to, then go to Wegmans, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all the replies! My spouse thought I was crazy staying but now I know I’m at least rationale.

Yeah go for walks or gym are options I do as well.

Why recs for other Wi-Fi places besides Sbux, Panera, WF, library, and McDonalds? Esp in Bethesda and Tysons area…

I just hotspot off my phone.

Do you have an RV with a table or something? I prefer to work sitting with a table. Hotspot for our work has limits and I need to remote access many machines.

What? No. Like the PP, I keep a camp chair in my car and use a laptop. No issues hotspotting with my employer.

My husband is like you though- he likes to work at a table, with his two monitor set up, papers spread out etc.

[Anonymous]

I try to carpool - we make new friends that way

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So our kids are old enough to drop off at activities and play groups, etc., they often have events or meetings that are kind of far from the house, like 20 to 30 minutes it could be worse in traffic.

The activities can run about two hours sometimes three, so basically I drive an extra hour if I go home to get one hour at home, for example.

Alternatively, I could just pop in to a coffee shop near the activity and wait two hours there.

What multiple do you drive back-and-forth 30 minutes each way or do you just wait around Rylan having to drive an hour round-trip?

We would stay in that instance. Run nearby errands, break out the laptop and work, or just mindlessly scroll/listen to podcast, etc. And/or watch practice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I normally go for a walk, do my work on my iPad, run errands, get groceries, catch up with friends on phone or facetime, audiobooks etc. My DH inevitably takes a nap especially in winter. My kids participate in tournaments that can last for a whole day.

My minivan is fully stocked - camp chair, blankets, pillows, hats, parka, umbrella, cooler, reusable grocery bags, books. And no, I do not leave my kids and come home. I am always close by.

I’m talking about 13-16 year olds. They often walk around town by themselves and have phones.

My kids have been involved in ECs on a competitive level since 1st grade.

In middle and high school the stakes are even higher, so aimlessly hanging around is a very rare phenomenon.

[Anonymous]

I usually use that time to go the gym.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So our kids are old enough to drop off at activities and play groups, etc., they often have events or meetings that are kind of far from the house, like 20 to 30 minutes it could be worse in traffic.

The activities can run about two hours sometimes three, so basically I drive an extra hour if I go home to get one hour at home, for example.

Alternatively, I could just pop in to a coffee shop near the activity and wait two hours there.

What multiple do you drive back-and-forth 30 minutes each way or do you just wait around Rylan having to drive an hour round-trip?

I might do work in the car, phone friends, to the public library to do admin work, grocery shop, see what’s in tjmaxx or some other store….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So our kids are old enough to drop off at activities and play groups, etc., they often have events or meetings that are kind of far from the house, like 20 to 30 minutes it could be worse in traffic.

The activities can run about two hours sometimes three, so basically I drive an extra hour if I go home to get one hour at home, for example.

Alternatively, I could just pop in to a coffee shop near the activity and wait two hours there.

What multiple do you drive back-and-forth 30 minutes each way or do you just wait around Rylan having to drive an hour round-trip?

I might do work in the car, phone friends, to the public library to do admin work, grocery shop, see what’s in tjmaxx or some other store….

PP. I also might use the time to walk and get my steps in while listening to music, nature or an audible.