When I was a kid, I rode the bus that my mom sometimes had to chase down in her maroon Ford Escort because we were running late. We knew which stops followed ours and Tammy the Bus Driver knew our car. When I got older, I rode with my neighbor-turned-best-friend. Then, of course, when I got around to getting my license and my first car sometime in my junior year, I drove my 1987 gray, hatch-back Ford Mustang to the student parking lot of the high school. My senior year I had my freshman brother in toy.
Now I drive my daughter and two friends to their school in my 2006 Chrysler Town & Country three mornings a week and pick them up from school one afternoon a week. And, let me tell you, carpooling has taught me some things.
Not everyone is a morning person.
Thing is, I don’t consider myself a morning person. I don’t like extra noises {TVs, radios, jokes, singing …} when I first get up. Usually quite a talker, I generally keep conversation to a minimum for awhile. On these school mornings, I am motivated by not liking to be late and not wanting my daughter to have to rush into school. But, you know, there are people of all ages who are less morning people than me.
Good kids music is valuable.
In my minivan, the kids’ playlists include our all-time favorite Slugs & Bugs, newest edition Rain for Roots, this summer’s Sky! VBS soundtrack, and Go Fish. Sometimes we listen to “my” music, but I’m thankful we have kids’ choices that aren’t annoying. Even in the morning.
Boys are different than girls.
Even when boy is 6 and the other is not quite 3, they think some things are funny while the girls, ages 7 and 5, think those same things are annoying. The boys like to laugh and make strange sounds. The girls like to sing songs, read books and draw pictures.
Minutes matter.
A month or so into the school year, I synced my iPhone clock with the school clock, you know, to keep us on schedule. If I leave my house a few minutes later than usual to begin the morning carpool route, which includes two other houses, I hit totally different traffic. Different lights. Different congestion. Plus there is the loading and unloading three kids with their backpacks and lunches and booster seats and now coats.
Did you ride the bus or carpool to school? If you have kids, do you carpool with anyone to school? Surely you learned some things along the way. And I’m guessing you have some great stories to share!
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