Parents: Do you mind chauffering your kids around?

[Mouse House Mama]

Nope I don’t mind. Yeah there are some days where I just want to stay home but overall I’m fine with it. I don’t mind driving other kids too. Why not help each other? Even if a parent never drives, maybe they have something going on in their life that they don’t want to share. Why should their kid suffer? It’s not a big deal to me. This time in life is so short. I’m grateful that I am here and able to be a part of it all.
As for Uber or Lyft? No way. No how. I’d sooner carry all my kids on my back on a bicycle. Ymmv.

 

[Disneylover99]

Nope I don’t mind. Yeah there are some days where I just want to stay home but overall I’m fine with it. I don’t mind driving other kids too. Why not help each other? Even if a parent never drives, maybe they have something going on in their life that they don’t want to share. Why should their kid suffer? It’s not a big deal to me. This time in life is so short. I’m grateful that I am here and able to be a part of it all.
As for Uber or Lyft? No way. No how. I’d sooner carry all my kids on my back on a bicycle. Ymmv.

Me too. I’m in the thick of it right now with my kids. My kids (and their friends) are appreciative of it. They generally make plans ahead of time and try not to spring last minute plans on me, so I can’t complain. Plus it keeps me sober at night.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Me too. I’m in the thick of it right now with my kids. My kids (and their friends) are appreciative of it. They generally make plans ahead of time and try not to spring last minute plans on me, so I can’t complain. Plus it keeps me sober at night.

I hear ya! All these Moms talking about wine time etc. I don’t have time for that! I’m always driving somewhere. No drinking for me. . I wouldn’t change a thing though.

 

[quandrea]

I hear ya! All these Moms talking about wine time etc. I don’t have time for that! I’m always driving somewhere. No drinking for me. . I wouldn’t change a thing though.

Last Saturday night we didn’t have swimming for the first time since last August. I got to have the first glass of wine since then with cheese before dinner. It was very indulgent.

 

[Disneylover99]

I hear ya! All these Moms talking about wine time etc. I don’t have time for that! I’m always driving somewhere. No drinking for me. . I wouldn’t change a thing though.

I do find wine time, but it might be at 1am when I know everyone is finally in bed for the night.

 

[wenrob]

I knew all of my kids' friends parents, so that was never an issue. Why would you even have your kid hang out with a family like that?

It’s nice to think we can know what’s going on in the lives of everyone we’ve come into contact with but the truth is we don’t. Closet drunks/addicts are a real thing and even the people who live with them have no idea. I’m pretty sure that was amberpi’s point.

 

[amberpi]

It’s nice to think we can know what’s going on in the lives of everyone we’ve come into contact with but the truth is we don’t. Closet drunks/addicts are a real thing and even the people who live with them have no idea. I’m pretty sure that was amberpi’s point.

That was exactly my point, you never know if that dad that works nights and seems off is just on a weird schedule, or drinking out of his yeti cup. The bigger statement is that you NEVER know.

I actually think it'd be brilliant if Uber had those devices that lock the car or whatever if the person can't blow straight. I've only once or twice suspected anyone might be impaired (high not drunk) and out of so many rides that seems like a very small portion, even then I wasn't sure if the weed smell was from the driver or a former passenger.

 

[mjkacmom]

I knew all of my kids' friends parents, so that was never an issue. Why would you even have your kid hang out with a family like that?

You really don’t know what goes on behind closed doors. I’d never disallow my kids to be friends with someone who had a parent with a substance abuse problem. I knew a woman who was an alcoholic, tried rehab three times, died at the age of 53. Her husband and kids are lovely people, kids were great students, amazing athletes, and loved by everyone. Before her alcoholism really took hold, this mom was a great person, so funny and nice.

Dd16 has a friend who’s parents are in jail, she lives with her aunt. DH brought her to an out of town soccer tournament, and he said she was one of the nicest, most respectful kids he’s ever met (he was her soccer coach for several years, but really never got to know her outside of practices and games), and made sure to tell her aunt she was always welcome to travel with him.

 

[aprilgail]

I knew all of my kids' friends parents, so that was never an issue. Why would you even have your kid hang out with a family like that?

Roflmao. You NEVER can know everything! My daughters first grade teacher was pulled over and arrested for DWI and leandras law for driving drunk with her child and her child’s friend in the car at 9am-no one had a clue she had any issue prior to that.

 

[wenrob]

Roflmao. You NEVER can know everything! My daughters first grade teacher was pulled over and arrested for DWI and leandras law for driving drunk with her child and her child’s friend in the car at 9am-no one had a clue she had any issue prior to that.

Near the end of the school year my kids Kindergarten teacher was suddenly absent two, three days a week. When she was there she was crying when not in class. I thought that maybe someone in her family was very sick, had died or something similar. The last week she only made it the last day. The following year she was gone. Turns out she had a pill problem and was let go. This is a lady I spoke to at least twice a day. She followed the school/district guidelines to beyond the letter. She had young kids of her own, taught at the school since the beginning. I’m pretty good at sniffing out an addict because of the history in my family and I was absolutely floored when this came to light. I had NO IDEA. And apparently no one else did either. The entire school was stunned.

 

[amberpi]

Roflmao. You NEVER can know everything! My daughters first grade teacher was pulled over and arrested for DWI and leandras law for driving drunk with her child and her child’s friend in the car at 9am-no one had a clue she had any issue prior to that.

I don't really like your post or @wenrob's but I find it relatable. What happens behind closed doors? Who knows. It's also why I try to stay out of any relationship spats. Not my circus, not monkeys.

 

[CT Yankee]

This is a bit of a mixed bag - driving your kids and friends around can be very time consuming and inconvenient but it does give a window into their world that we otherwise would not see. I certainly got plenty of intel this way. When my older daughter got her license and started driving herself to/from school, I did find myself missing some of those conversations we had on the drive home. I think we would not have had those discussions outside of that time in the car.

 

[Summer2018]

I have happily driven my daughter, her friends, and boyfriends all over God’s green earth. Whenever I felt overwhelmed by it all, I reminded myself that childhood is short, and once it’s over we can’t ever get those days back.

She’s an adult now and drives herself the majority of the time.

Before I know it, I will have an empty nest, and I will wish that I could go back to the days when she needed me to drive her, and we spent every day together.

 

[wgeo]

One of the biggest gripes I've heard from parents for the past several years is -- I give my kids a cell phone for my convenience, yet whenever I try to call or text them they don't answer! Inevitably the parents say they've been through it time and time with the kids and yet they keep running into the same issue. Do we really think kids are going to be so responsible about verifying license plates and pictures of the correct drivers/cars?

Wasn't it only last month a college student was found murdered after getting into a car she mistakenly assumed was her ride share? Yeah, nothing could possibly go wrong with younger, less experienced kids.

I know this isn't exactly the angle you were taking -but this type of thing frustrated me. In my opinion, parents who continuily complain about this, or about their kids always taking advantage of them for last minute drives somewhere - this is a parent problem. The parents are allowing the kids to run things without any consequences. If my kids don't reply to a text/phone call they lose their phone period. They learned very fast that the only reason I chose to pay a phone bill for them every month is so that I can contact them and if they don't respond, they lose that privilige. I have also said no many times to last minute requests for rides. I've also said yes many times because I happened to be available, but my kids are very clear on the fact that if they really want something - asking in advance is the much much better policy.

For the original question, I work from home, and the vast majority of my kid's friend's parents know this and understand that I have more flexibility during the day. My kids know this too and for the most part I feel very grateful that I am able to have a job that means I can chase them around during the day. Fortunately their friend's parents have learned that I like to go to bed early so they very often volunteer to do late night pick ups - which I think is awesome. It's worked out very well.

I have to say though, that with a 13 and 15 year old, the "asks" for going places gets worse and worse every year lol. I thought the soccer practices were a lot in Kindergarten lol - what did I know? But the end is in sight, and like many have said - I do really cherish some of the conversations that we have in the car.

 

[diznymom]

Having been a working mom (CPA 10-12 hr days), I was never around to do the chauffeuring. Or I would have to take time off of work (w/ lots of frowns & dirty looks). When I finally quit all the crazy hours and was available, I did not mind at all. I miss it now that my kiddos are all grown up.

 

[Klayfish]

We spend countless hours per week staring out a windshield for the kids and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm thrilled to be able to give them the opportunity to experience the things they do.

I don't drink alcohol at all, I don't understand the attraction to it, so no worries there.