Does it take a village?

My friend had cars lined up outside her house this evening. Technically only two cars, but my point is more impressive if you picture many. I waited for her son—I had jazz-band drop off. A dad waited behind me for her daughter—he had dance-class drop off. The dad and I have known each other for years too—we swap soccer-carpool duties.

All of us have multiple children, in multiple schools and multiple extracurricular activities. Obviously, we need our multiple brains examined for endorsing our crazy schedules.

But hey, we have each other and other others, an entire network of parent taxi drivers. We depend on that network for sanity, friendship, and the safety of our children. Occasionally, we get together for social gatherings, away from our children, where we discuss our children, and indulge in adult beverages—we never mix these nights with car pool nights…

I’ve known these families for seven years, which is a life-time record, considering my moving history. We share in the well-being of our children, watching out for them emotionally and physically. I even taught some in preschool.

So, as I waited for my friend’s son this evening and waved to the man in the car behind me, I realized that it definitely takes a village to raise a child…apparently, it also takes a car pool.