“A suburban mother’s role is to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car forever after. ”

— Peter De Vries

A lot of parents get frustrated by driving their kids around. They get tired of the traffic, the relentless grind, and being the parent chauffeur.

My wife and I have been driving kids around for years. It’s not always fun but it is one way a parent can help their child stay involved. It gives the kids more opportunities.

Here’s a few ideas to help you keep your sanity and maybe enjoy the rides:

1. Build in a little parent time. If you’re taking your child to a music lesson, and you’ve already listened to many lessons, go to the nearby coffee shop for a half hour.
2. Plan an errand at the same time. Knocking off a to-do item helps make it valuable for both parent and child.
3. Play music you both like, or alternate parent music with kid music on each trip.
4. Frustrations are often born out of a desire to be doing something else. As adults, we try to teach our kids to curb their immediate impulses and focus on the long-term good. Try taking your own advice.
5. It’s quality one on one time. It’s a great time to talk. Use the time to build a closer relationship with your child.
6. Use the time to learn to listen. Very few of us have ever been taught how to listen. Car rides are as good a time as any. Let your child just talk.

Our attitude towards being a parent chauffeur really comes down to a choice.

Do we let it drive us crazy or use it to drive us closer together?

Played the role of parent chauffeur for most of the day.