Carpool Buddies, Won’t You Chat?

Family carpool.

Strap In Carpool Buddies!

Sometimes I wonder what my relationship will be with my children when they get older. You know when poop isn’t their favorite word and ice cream doesn’t cure everything.

Today’s guest today is with someone whose children are older than mine: my cousin Bonnie.  She and her husband, Howard, have two children ages 16 and 13.

She works as a resident coordinator in a large hospital in Philadelphia. Bonnie enjoys reading, baking and going to the movies.  She also loves playing board games and recently became addicted to some I phone games.

Bonnie was one of my first followers. Unfortunately, she rarely comments. However at every family function she tells me how much she enjoys the blog. Family is a good thing!

This is her first blog post. Enjoy.

Do you drive your kids to school?  I do. I drive my teenage daughter and her friend to a school in center city Philadelphia that is 13.9 miles from our home.  We are carpool buddies.

Anyway, the girls sit in the back which leaves the front passenger seat available for my tote bag, pocketbook, box of tissues, and makeup.

The three of us spend 45 minutes together every morning fighting traffic jams, pot holes and obnoxious drivers.  We have lots of time to talk, listen to the radio…. etc.   This has been our routine for 5 years.

A few years ago we carpool buddies found a radio station that we all liked.  We used to sing along, listen to the gossip about Hollywood stars, and try to call in for trivia contests and concert tickets.  Unfortunately, some DJs left and the ones who remained became increasingly annoying.  We no longer enjoyed the “talk” and the music become very repetitive.

The girls’ response was to plug into their personal audio devices (Ipods). I was left to listen to the news or an “old lady radio station” with light rock/easy listening.  I missed the old days when I felt we were carpool buddies.

I missed their animated conversations about who likes whom or what teacher did what.  I missed hearing about the parties they might attend and the outfits they might wear.

They may not have always been including me, but I felt like I was part of it, and felt privileged to have that window into their lives.

Sometimes we still have great conversations, or my daughter will read out loud to us. Yet now, more often than not, there is silence in the car.  The girls are either sleeping or studying quietly, and I don’t want to disturb them.

You should see them.  They are bent over writing, reading, calculating or memorizing.  Otherwise, they are reclining in their seats, snuggled under a blanket and out like a light.

But, I can’t sleep.  I can’t read.  I have to drive!  I get a little jealous…

However, I treasure these early mornings.  I love having my carpool buddies.

Before I know it, my kids will be driving themselves and will have no need for me in the driver’s seat.

Hmmm…It’s not a bad idea.  Maybe next year they will be in the front, and I will be sleeping in the back with my tote bag, tissues, cellphone and other essentials!!

 Photo courtesy of Microsoft clip art.

9 thoughts on “Carpool Buddies, Won’t You Chat?

  1. Great post! I know I only have a few more months left before Mr. T can drive himself all over the place, and as much as I’m ready for that day, I know that I’ll miss some of the times we were forced together in the car and all of the great conversations we’ve had!

    • Posts like these make me remember that I have to appreciate my kids and where they are at each stage. I am better at that than I used to be. However, I can’t imagine missing them staying in my bed. Well, maybe.

  2. I love this post! Just this morning I was headed to the middle school with 3 fifth grade girls, and they were chattering away about the weirdest things. But I was thankful to be with them.

    I was also thankful the ride was only ten minutes long…

  3. I love this! It makes me think that every stage we should remember that the day will come that we will miss those times.

    I think your cousin should start a blog 🙂

  4. Ah, it’s sad when kids grow up. At least you still have those pleasant memories. And you’re right. It will be nice when you don’t have to do the driving. Maybe you’ll like it so much, you won’t mind losing that “carpool buddies” feel. Or, better yet, when one of them is driving, maybe she’ll be talking since she can’t be reading, writing, or sleeping (one hopes)!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *