The Mom Taxi Diaries: How Many Hours Do We Spend Driving?
If I had a dollar for every hour I’ve spent chauffeuring my kids around, I’d be writing this from a luxury spa instead of my car between drop-offs. If you’re a parent with kids in activities, you already know: the real MVP of the family isn’t a person—it’s the vehicle that faithfully gets everyone where they need to be (with an impressive collection of snack wrappers and forgotten water bottles in the backseat).
The Morning Shift: Meetings From the Car
Today started with an early tutoring session before school for one child, which meant one thing—joining my morning meetings from the car. Of course, like clockwork, the moment I unmute myself to contribute, my normally well-behaved children decide this is their golden opportunity to showcase their expert-level sibling rivalry. Nothing like your colleagues getting a front-row seat to an argument over who looked at who the wrong way.
The Afternoon Frenzy: When GPS Can’t Even Keep Up
The workday wraps up, and I immediately transition into full-time taxi driver. First stop: dropping my daughter off at gymnastics, a solid 20 minutes away. But here’s the fun part—my son’s hockey practice is in the opposite direction. So that’s 40 minutes round trip just to get them both where they need to be. My car basically runs on caffeine and good intentions at this point.
Once hockey practice is complete, I circle back to the gym, arriving just in time to catch the last hour of my daughter’s four-hour practice. This is where I attempt to sneak in some emails and clear out notifications—keyword: attempt. Because if she so much as sees me glancing at my phone, I get the look. You know the one. The “Are you seriously working right now?” look.
The Home Stretch: Late Nights and Lunch Prep
Finally, at 9:10 PM, we’re home. Just enough time to make lunches, ensure everyone has what they need for tomorrow, and then collapse into bed, only to do it all over again the next day.
So, How Many Hours Do We Spend Driving?
Too many. But at the end of the day, between the chaos, the miles, and the never-ending car snacks, I remind myself—these moments, as exhausting as they are, are fleeting. So for now, I’ll keep the engine running, the playlists queued up, and the backseat arguments (mostly) under control.
To all the other mom taxis out there—drive safe, and may your coffee always be strong.
