Carpool Tips and Tricks
Posted by Sara Kendall
Parents spend hours behind the wheel chauffeuring their children back and forth to school, sport practices and afterschool activities. Throw in multiple children, and it can be difficult to get everyone where they need to be on time. Setting up a carpooling arrangement can bring welcome relief. Chances are you'll find lots of other parents who want in.
Organize a Carpool Group
- School is the first beast to conquer. To reduce your time on the road, start with your children's circle of friends, preferably in your neighborhood. Get input from your kids on whose parents they would feel comfortable riding with. Then, spread the word to those you think are trustworthy.
- Make extracurricular activities your second round. For this, speak with parents whose kids are involved in the same weekly activities as your children. Families who live in the same neighborhood are ideal, but don't rule out an arrangement with someone a couple of streets away.
- Narrow your list. If you only want one family to carpool with, then reach out to them directly. This is likely to be an easy arrangement. One family can drop off and the other can pick up. This can also ease stress if you prefer to work out carpooling on a week-to-week basis.
Create a Schedule
- Organize a meeting if you aren't already friendly and comfortable with the parents in your carpool. Get to know them to make sure it's a good fit for everyone.
- Plan a driving rotation next. When more than two families are involved, each family can be responsible for drop off or pick up on a designated day of the week. No matter the arrangement, it is critical to discuss schedules upfront, so there's no confusion — or missed pick-ups.
