Do You Drive Anywhere With the Kids?

[Mom&Provider]

Until now I have never had to drive anywhere with daycare kids in the car, but my son has statred school and winter is coming, so I'm trying to figure out how is the best way for everyone to get back and forth on those bad weather days (he can't be bused since we are too close and I've inquired about a car pool with no luck)! Here's the situation:

We are about a 12 min walk to the school, no problems at all in nice weather, but we live in Canada and winters here can be bad with temps dropping far below 0 some days. I have a couple of options:

1. My in laws are close enough to help when they can. My MIL would come here and I would drive over the school, get my son and come back. This would work some of the time, but not always since obviously they have a life too! They can't pick-up on the fly since the school needs a written note in advance of anyone different picking up.

2. I could pack the kids in my car and take my son back and forth twice per day.

3. I could ask a neighbour if she could come here and watch the children while I run out twice per day.

4. I purchase a bike trailer that can be pushed as a stroller and off we go regardless of weather.

What do you think as a parent you would feel most comfortable with? I already know one parent didn't love the idea of having her child in my car - she stated that during an interview over a year ago now which I do understand to a point. I either have to grin and do it and hope for no bad weather on the days my son goes to school, ask the parents if I can take their children in the car for school purposes only OR leave them here with someone else other then me.

What are your thoughts? What do you do in the cold months?

[Cat Herder]

What are your thoughts? What do you do in the cold months?

My clients don't want their kids taken off the property. No Transport is the preferred arrangement in my region (other than centers who have their own busses) due to dangerous highway/traffic conditions.

I adjusted my opening time to accommodate taking my kids to school (4.5 miles).

There are constantly requests for supplies or projects that cannot be transported on the school bus....this gets to be more and more of an issue the older they get.

I also schedule Parent/Teacher conferences during the early morning period...if not I would never get Teacher interaction due to my work hours.

I don't want to be "THAT" Mom who never participates or who cannot be relied on.

[godiva83]

I do field trips with my DCK's all the time they are 18-20 months and the parents I have appreciate our outings!

I don't have to worry about school drop offs just yet thankfully...but I would just decide what works best for YOU and your family, as long as know harm is done. Maybe provide your parents with a driving abstract ( if it is good ) to make them more confident?

[kitkat]

On bad weather days and bitter cold days, I pack up the kids and we drive to school. I have it in my handbook that transportation will be provided to/from school and by signing the contract/handbook, they give permission for transportation. I provide all carseats and if the weather is looking bad, then I make sure to install them the night before.

During the winter months, I pull the little ones in my Radio Flyer wagon. It gets kind of squished, but I can fit 3 in it. It's way easier to pull the wagon thru the snow than it is to push my double stroller. A bike trailer might be do-able, but it could get pretty dirty from slush. Even though they aren't walking, I still make them wear snowpants and boots so they stay warm on the walk.

[sharlan]

Right now, I walk the older boys to school. We walk across the street, down 2 houses, across the street, and end up at the school's back gate. The 3 & 4 yo get picked up at preschool 2 days a week.

In between that, we run errands and go on outings.

The first thing I tell my parents, we do not stay home all the time. If leaving the property is an issue for you, than I am not the right provider.

[Oneluckymom]

I have the same situation, but I know a couple moms at my sons school and told them my situation and they offered to pick up in the mornings and/or drop off my son at the end of the day. Do you know any other moms you could trust who you could ask. If you find someone at the school I think this would be the easiest option and then you could have family as your backup. I figured I would do something really special for these moms every few months since it is such a big help. Good Luck.

[mom2many]

For many years I had to take my own 3 kids to and from school. We didn't have buses and it was too far for them to walk. We got a suburban, so that I had enough seats and the parents never had an issue with the transportation. We would also take field trips to different parks on days, when they didn't have school.

[PitterPatter]

I take the children on field trips to the zoo, park/swimming, childrens museum, maybe a couple other places now and then. I usually only do a few during summer months. When I 1st started daycare I didn't but then I felt bad for the kids that had never been to a zoo or the childrens museum etc. I actually had a 7 yr old that had never been in a zoo!! When I asked DCM why she said they just never bothered. That did it for me. Now I have taken many kids to the zoo and other places. I feel very proud to have been able to give 3 kids their 1st zoo experience now. Seeing the joy and amazment in their eyes has even brought a to my eyes. We have a zoo just 15 minutes away so no reason for parents not to take a child at least once IMHO anyway. They even have a couple free days through the year so money shouldn't be a problem. I take pics of every outting and print a few out for the parents to have.

As for transporting for school, no I don't do that. Errands I run when they are not in care unless it is unavoidable. I'd say the daycare kids go in a car with me maybe 5-6 times per year now.

[nannyde]

I don't transport for any reason.

When my son was five and six I hired a neighbor to transport him. When he went to second he started walking. It's about five blocks from my house.

In the winter I just bundle him with the best winter gear from head to toe. He's done fine.

[daycare]

I drive once to twice per week. We have one field trip per week and we go to the duck pond once a week. I have a million dollar balloon policy over my home and vehicle, and $550,000 per child for medical in case of an accident. BUT it cost me a pretty penny.

I don't travel out of the town and I don't drop off or pick up..

[Crazy8]

I don't transport at all. I'm not sure how any hdcp's do it. I was told you'd have to have livery insurance in order to do so and that is super expensive.

My DH took my kids to preschool most days (he has a few days a week where he works 1-10pm) and when he couldn't we filled in with my parents, my neighbor who's son also went, etc.

[wdmmom]

I found out that in Iowa, you have to have a commercial insurance policy on your vehicle to legally transport during business hours or on a regular basis.

I do not provide transportation for the simple reason that the liability is far too high if someone hit me or I got in an accident and the commercial coverage would run me to the tune of an additional $2000 a year!

No thanks!

[caligirl]

Well, I've been a provider for 26 years. I used to take them places all the time when my kids were young. Field trips every week, sometimes twice a week. But now I only take them if I absolutely have to. And usually I only make plans on days when I only have 2 or 3. Otherwise I get someone to come sit with them.