Carpooling is one of the best ways for busy families to get through the school year. With various school start times, multiple practice schedules, and lots of traffic to shuffle through, carpool can be the only way to get it all done.
I remember when my oldest three children were young and attending three different schools. I drove a big loop around one end of town picking up kids for an hour — and If I didn’t pickup the first child within a certain time range, the entire event would end in a mess. I hated it. This is where carpooling would have been fantastic!
How do you setup a carpool?
Find your leader! The easiest way to organize a carpool is by nominating one person to be in charge. If too many parents are dictating the way it should be done, something, or someone, is going to get missed! Discuss it with your immediate group of parent friends and proceed from there.
Start Signups: After your leader has been chosen, begin accepting signups. You will need to know how many seats are available, the tag number to the vehicle they will be driving, a clear identification of who will be driving (mom, dad, aunt, grandma, etc.), days they are available to drive, and days they are not available.
Quick tip: It is best if only parents you personally know and trust are included in your carpool ring. Those whom you wouldn’t leave your child in their care while you ran to the grocery store, shouldn’t be in your carpool circle!
Create an Availability Spreadsheet (or enter information into a carpooling app): I am a paper person and prefer my spreadsheet. Even if I were using an app, I’d probably still have everything backed up in a spreadsheet anyway. Your sheet should include the name, telephone number, address, vehicle info, tag number, days available, morning/afternoon, if they can do early dismissal days, and a notes tab. Notes are for additional information, such as, if mom drives mornings and dad does Friday afternoons.
Create your schedule. Again, you can use a carpooling app, or a basic student planner works great (write in pencil, changes happen). Always have a backup, and a backup for the backup!
Map routes based upon where each child should go (not where they live.)
Print and deliver all info to everyone in your group. (Deliver new schedules once a month.)
Important to Know
Accidents happen, emergencies happen, sick days — happen! Everyone in your group needs to decide what they want drivers to do in an emergency and what steps need to be taken. All drivers should have a list in their vehicle of who they are driving, emergency contact information, and if anyone has a medical condition. Not only should the driver be aware, but there should be something in the vehicle emergency workers would notice too.
Your children need to have identification on them at all times! Teach your children to keep their school ID on, or in their pocket, until they arrive at their destination safely.
Consider having a monthly meeting, even if it is on a social media group online. This will help everyone stay on the same page and avoid miscommunication.
Do you love the idea of carpooling but don’t have enough room in your current vehicle?
Visit your local dealership to explore vehicles with extra seating.
