“Why isn’t there just a toddler bus?” I thought to myself one freezing morning at 7 a.m. as I was loading three of my five little kids into my car to head to day care.
I had to take off each of their coats I’d just carefully put in order to buckle them into their car seats properly, then cover them back up, and not one, but all three were in full-blown tantrum mode.
Unfortunately, some version of this was an almost daily occurrence, and dropping the little ones off, then picking them up, was taking me around seven hours a week and pulling me away from my work.
It didn’t feel sustainable. Then, a few weeks later, our in-home day-care provider‘s vehicle completely broke down — and I had an idea when I looked at our driveway.
After working out some logistics, I’d created a win-win arrangement
Our day-care provider’s vehicle had allowed her to be the “fun” sitter, transporting all the kids around town on Ms. Frizzle-style field trips. Without it, the crew had no wheels and more limited options for activities.
Meanwhile, I had a large passenger van that I jokingly call “the bus” just sitting in my driveway all day waiting for the mayhem of evening carpools and sports practices for my family of seven.
What if I lent it to her, and in return, she could pick up my children and bring them back after day care? After all, she’d have to come get “the bus” and return it each day anyway.
She’d get a way to transport the kids around, and I’d get some time back. Plus, since our vehicle was larger, she could move around inside more easily and help kids with their seat belts before driving off.
It felt like a win-win, and after a brief discussion, she was down — though this arrangement wasn’t without its hurdles.
Before starting, I spoke with my insurance company to get some guidance about liability and our current coverages that could help me structure the arrangement and feel more confident about it. I also paid to increase my auto liability insurance to be extra cautious.
We agreed to split the gas costs, and that I’d still cover any repairs the van needed. After we figured out a schedule that worked for both of us, this arrangement began.
We’ve had to communicate more often, and the setup has required flexibility on both sides, such as when the van had to go to the repair shop. Otherwise, for the past few months, this has been working well.
This new setup helped me get back hours of free time each week
Overall, loaning my van to our day-care provider in exchange for no-cost drop-offs and pickups has been a reliable and exciting arrangement for the kids and adults alike.
I no longer have those early-morning fights with my toddlers, and now, they actually look forward to their ride to day care. The seven or so hours a week I’ve gotten back are priceless, and I use the extra time to stop by the gym, take coffee breaks, and hit deadlines on a busy workday.
Beyond that, setting up this arrangement reminded me to look for pain points in our family’s routines, ask for what I need, and brainstorm more ways to streamline tasks and create mutually beneficial arrangements whenever possible.
Obviously, not everyone has a vehicle they can lend out. For some, that streamlining might look like paying a nanny or babysitter extra to drive kids to football practice or pick them up from school. For others, maybe it’s creating a carpooling schedule with another family who lives nearby and doing pickups in exchange for drop-offs.
Raising kids takes a village, and as busy parents, an exchange of resources can be totally worth it if it means taking something off your already-full plate.
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