The Mom Kind No matter how organized parents are, getting your child ready for school can be difficult, if not impossible. From the moment the alarm blurts, “Rise and Shine” and the Keurig starts revving up, the house resembles a Nascar pit stop: The last thing parents have time for once everyone is finally in the car is to plan which route to take to pick up Colette, Josie, and Elliott. Plus, Josie is never ready when you drive up (but that’s another story). When it’s your turn to carpool, and you aren’t prepared, you are pretty much starting the test without a pencil.
School Carpool Made Easy: 3 reasons to share the ride to school
But parents are in a much better position in 2021. Why are things more manageable now? Technology. Parents who use leading route optimization apps like Straightaway get to school on time, while social media sites have made it incredibly easy to organize a carpool group. Here are three things that have transformed the way we carpool.
1. Modern Times, Modern apps
Carpooling makes so much sense, especially when you need to get your child or multiple children to school, and everyone knows fewer cars on the road is better for the planet. Just a quick search online, and you’ll find carpool groups on Facebook, Waze, and other social media sites, and you’ll find community groups like “Portland Carpoolers” and many other regional carpool organization sites.
Then there are smaller apps and online sites such as Scoop, Merge, and Casual Carpool that will help you form a carpool according to where you live and what you need to do with your group of kids: whether it’s sharing a parent ride for a field trip, a casual carpool for an after school sporting event, or a more classic carpool route. Popping up are carpool management apps such as Carpool Kids that focus on parent communication and group driving schedules.
2. Community building through sharing a ride
Carpooling in 2021 may save you time, effort, and gas, but it also gives parents more time for themselves. Parents are busy, and they never seem to have time in the morning. On the days you don’t have to drive the carpool, it’s all yours.
But your kids benefit from carpooling as well. The COVID-19 pandemic has left this young generation with less social time, and their social skills have suffered. When you allow your children to carpool, they will have that extra opportunity in the car to work on their social skills.
3. Straightaway Route Optimization
Luckily, you don’t have to be late for school anymore. The apps for route optimization have become so advanced and easy-to-use, it’s silly. Having the social media site to organize the carpool and knowing that your kids are getting some valuable social time is peachy, but having the right route optimization software makes the carpool experience even more efficient. That’s why parent carpoolers are signing up for route optimization apps like Straightaway. It’s taking carpooling to infinity and beyond, as Buzz Lightyear would say.
Straightaway makes it easy to plan the way to school and all the stops along the way when it’s your carpool day. Parents add stops by snapping a photo of the address list or spreadsheet on your smartphone. In an instant, Straightaway’s state-of-the-art optimization algorithm analyzes road conditions, construction, traffic patterns, weather issues, and more to make sure they determine the best route for your carpool. And parents love the app because it’s completely user-friendly, hands-free, and safe.
Signing up for Straightaway
Oh no, not another fee. You just spent a ton of money on your daughter’s dance outfits. Don’t worry! The Starter package is entirely complementary, and no credit card is needed for sign up. Your carpool can make up to 25 stops, so if you need to wait for Josie, who is still in the bathroom when you come to pick her up—you’ll still make it on time.
With Straightaway, it’s easier to carpool in 2021. Thanks to route-optimization like Straightaway, and the social media sites that make it all too easy to organize the group, we have the help we need to share the ride.
The Mom Kind
Alicia Trautwein is an Autism advocate, writer, motivational speaker, and dedicated mom of four. Alicia’s desire to advocate for Autism comes from her own autism diagnosis and that of her three children, niece, and brother. Her life’s mission is to educate on autism acceptance and change the world for future generations of autistic individuals.
