I remember an article in the Wash. Post where a woman had a van service to drive kids to sports, etc. I'm sorry I don't remember the name of the co.

Many people here are being very judgmental. What works for one family may not for another. But, I know a number of kids who had to ride taxis to and from the metro to get to/from their schools. Mine was one and she's turned out super.

Anonymous wrote:I know of a very reliable service the drivers are typically SAHM and very reasonably priced. The drivers service many of the private schools in Potomac and Bethesda.

Can you list it here?

It's clear the pre-k mom was never talking about using a taxi - there is just a judgmental mom here combining several posts into one as an excuse to rant. I feel like these sorts of moms must somehow feel unhappy about something and need to judge others so they can feel good about themselves and their parenting.

To pre-k mom looking foe college student to help fill the gap at 3pm - I will ask my friend what she paid when the "driving nanny" to bring her kids home to their "long term loving, but non-driving nanny" (on the three days that mom was at work getting some life balance -note she happened to be home the other 4days of the week)

I personally wouldn't put a preK kid in a taxi either, but I would absolutely 1) arrange a multikid carpool, 2) hire a college student to escort my child home, 3) hire a SAHM to escort my child home, 4) put a preK kid on a school bus/van, 5) include a preK kid in a neighborhood group who jointly hired a van service to transport the kids, 6) arrange a standing playdate with another family which included transportation, 7) arrange for a family friend who drives a taxi to do the daily pickup. Given that in all of these scenarios I have "farmed out" the transportation, does this put me in your "good mom" or "negligent mom" category? After all, I am not "there for my child" in any of them.

I think their kids might benefit from spending less time with some of the judgemental sahms.

Many of us grew up with two parents that worked so had to make different accommodations on this type of stuff and turned out just fine.

Prek parent here. Obviously, I would not just call a cab for a four-year-old. But, I would like to find someone reliable and trusworthy to pick up my child from school most days. That way, she would be home with me at 3:30. If I drove, I would not be able to get her until after 3:30. As school gets out at 3, that would mean that she would have to go to aftercare. Then, I could pick her up, but she wouldn't be home until after 4 or even 4:30. In the scenario that I am envisioning, it would be a college kid, and they would likely travel by public transport (just as I would if I were to pick her up). The only difference between this and an afterschool babysitter/nanny is the limited time and the activity they were doing. I assume I would have to pay the person a bit extra in order to make it worthwhile, but I wonder how much. I think I would have loved this job in college, and I would have accepted $20/day, $35 on the early release day when DD would need to be watched for an extra hour. Does anyone do anything like this, and if so, how much do they pay?

(I can not leave work before three, and quitting my otherwise great job that keeps a roof over our head over this would be ridiculous!)

Anonymous wrote:Wow! Maybe the hired driver can come inside the school and cheer your kids on during their sports events, plays, etc. Maybe he could even attend your parent conferences as well -- those can really be inconvenient. How about trips to the doctor? Wow, you've really hit on something here.
The next time I head to the airport, I'll just see if the driver wants to move in with us. Just think how convenient that would be.

You really are an ass. You are not championing the cause of sahms by attacking the concept of a van bringing groups of middle schoolers home from a school that was not within easy public transportation or walking distance from their homes. We loved being with the other kids in the van! Are parents who send their children to school on a school bus outsourcing their parenting?

Idiocy!

Anonymous wrote:PP why are you so mean and who said you were perfect. Hiring a sedan service if you are not able to get your kids to some activities is not the worst thing in the world..esp if it's a service that does background checks for other contracts. I know several families that are doing what they need to do to get by and ridicule is not helpful. Perhaps instead of giving working parents grief you may offer to help some of them out since your time is so free.

Yes, absolutely! I'm sure that the standard "haven't been in jail" background check would really make me feel much better about sticking my child in a sedan with strangers every day.

I think it's time for OP to read "Protecting the Gift." Or maybe she should talk to members of law enforcement who deal with child abuse. I know several; and I know what they would say about this arrangement.

Mothers: if you don't have time to drive your children to school, find a trusted female nanny who can do it. Or carpool. Figure it out somehow. DO NOT STICK YOUR CHILD IN A SEDAN SERVICE!!! PLEASE!!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow! Maybe the hired driver can come inside the school and cheer your kids on during their sports events, plays, etc. Maybe he could even attend your parent conferences as well -- those can really be inconvenient. How about trips to the doctor? Wow, you've really hit on something here.
The next time I head to the airport, I'll just see if the driver wants to move in with us. Just think how convenient that would be.

Heaven forbid! It's so much nobler for mom to become a chauffeur.

Seriously, since when did driving become a requirement of parenthood? Luckily, no one told me or I'd be childless.

And do you feel the same way about meal preparation? Do you let STRANGERS cook for your child??? You know, like at a restaurant?

Seriously. Why is being there for your child so abhorrent to you. It's not that driving, specifically, is a requirement of parenthood. Rather it is "being there," "being present," and not off-loading every responsibility.
Your analogy of a restaurant/meal prep is so off base. The appropriate analogy would be dropping your child off at a perfect stranger's home handing the stranger some money and asking them to provide a meal. Very different from a restaurant - yet quite analogous to the stranger/cab driver along in a car with your child.

Your argument is almost self-refuting. Yes, being there for kids is key to good parenting. And no, driving is not the same as being there. You can drive and not be there; you can be there and not drive. Outsourcing transportation is sensible on so many levels -- every time I watch carpool I think about how many parent-hours are wasted in the schlep (much of which is spent without the kids) and that's before we get to the environmental issues. School buses were a better system. Where they don't exist, a van pool type arrangement (which is what OP seemed to be looking for) would be a great option.

PP why are you so mean and who said you were perfect. Hiring a sedan service if you are not able to get your kids to some activities is not the worst thing in the world..esp if it's a service that does background checks for other contracts. I know several families that are doing what they need to do to get by and ridicule is not helpful. Perhaps instead of giving working parents grief you may offer to help some of them out since your time is so free.

New poster here. Oh my god, I LOVE this thread! Thanks, all, for the great laughs!!!!

I'm wondering if I can hire someone to tuck my daughter into bed at night and listen to her when she has a problem? Maybe an off-duty cab or livery driver would be available? Preferably a male with a spotty employment history!

Thanks in advance!!!

I know of a very reliable service the drivers are typically SAHM and very reasonably priced. The drivers service many of the private schools in Potomac and Bethesda.

Its not about using different transportation. The issue as I heard it was putting a pre-k girl into a TAXI to get to school. Any parent that would do that should have their head examined.
I will judge that any day of the week.

So you're saying families that carpool or use school busses are not "there for their children"? Get real - different families face different challenges and everyone makes it work the best they can.

The bottom line is that you have NO idea why a family may need help getting a child to school. You are assuming it is because they work too much (in your view) or don't prioritize as you would - but who knows - there are all kinds of "life events" they could be dealing with. A parent facing a health issue, the need to help an elder family member? Or maybe they really want to move their child to a better fitting school that happens to be quite far and have younger, more hands-on aged kids who still go to school locally.

You just don't know and it's not your problem or you business.

Why can't parents seek advice here without all the judging?!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow! Maybe the hired driver can come inside the school and cheer your kids on during their sports events, plays, etc. Maybe he could even attend your parent conferences as well -- those can really be inconvenient. How about trips to the doctor? Wow, you've really hit on something here.
The next time I head to the airport, I'll just see if the driver wants to move in with us. Just think how convenient that would be.

Heaven forbid! It's so much nobler for mom to become a chauffeur.

Seriously, since when did driving become a requirement of parenthood? Luckily, no one told me or I'd be childless.

And do you feel the same way about meal preparation? Do you let STRANGERS cook for your child??? You know, like at a restaurant?

Seriously. Why is being there for your child so abhorrent to you. It's not that driving, specifically, is a requirement of parenthood. Rather it is "being there," "being present," and not off-loading every responsibility.
Your analogy of a restaurant/meal prep is so off base. The appropriate analogy would be dropping your child off at a perfect stranger's home handing the stranger some money and asking them to provide a meal. Very different from a restaurant - yet quite analogous to the stranger/cab driver along in a car with your child.