Need A Ride?

As parents, we are given hours of time back when our teens start to drive. I think it’s safe to say that we all spend hours every week driving our kids to friend’s houses, school, sporting events, etc. As someone who spends a lot of time in my car for work, having to shuffle kids around after work feels like a big ask.

I’lll never forget the first time my oldest child told me he was leaving and heading to the golf course. Just the day before, I spent a total of an hour and a half dropping him off and then picking him up when he was finished. What would I do with this new spare time? I was grateful for the break in driving but almost missed the time spent in the car with him. As teenagers start to spend more time with friends than their family, sometimes the only chance we have to catch up with them is the time in the car.

Recently, my seventeen year old daughter asked me for a ride across town when I got home from work. I did not want to sit in traffic and offered to get her an Uber. She looked a little disappointed and so I sucked it up and offered to take her. I was doing it for her but got so much out of it personally. I got to hear about everything going on in her social life and we played our favorite music as loud as it would go. It was fun. We sang and laughed together. We would not have talked that much with us both at home. There is something about a car ride that allows us to squeeze in a lot of catching up. It doesn’t feel pressured or like I am being nosy. Of course, I am being a little nosy! I suddenly felt like I was just given time instead of having time taken away. While Uber is a beautiful thing, it made me realize that being my teenager’s personal Uber isn’t such a bad thing. If you are feeling out of touch with your teen, offer to drive them somewhere. It may be just the thing that helps you to reconnect.

XX,

MG

Interior Design by: Marian Louise Design

TEA IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD