Why I’m Loving the Taxi Years

I like to call the stage of life we’re in right now “The Taxi Years.”

My kids are 11 and 7, and they have a ton of different interests.  They like sports, music, Scouts, we’re involved in church activities, and they have great friendships.  They are in band and orchestra, play several sports, and like to play with friends.  We have Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA meetings to get to.  They are involved in so many activities that we have a large whiteboard in the kitchen that gets updated every Sunday just to keep track of who goes where with whom before, during, and after school each day.

My kids are really capable kids, but one thing that they cannot do (yet) is transport themselves anywhere beyond what is reachable by bicycle in our immediate neighborhood.  Hence my husband and I refer to this stage in our lives as “The Taxi Years,” since we seem to spend a large majority of our time picking kids up, shuttling them around, getting them where they need to go, and getting them back home for bath and bed.

Being a parent taxi can get a little exhausting. I am constantly checking the Google calendar to make sure I remembered to update gymnastics practice start time, or checking the mileage between violin lesson and soccer practice to see if we can make it between the two it time. Do we have time to stop at McDonald’s for dinner or should I pack sandwiches?  Each morning, my husband and I quick run through who is picking up which kid, and where are we going.  Sometimes I’m a little surprised that we haven’t left one of the kids somewhere or shown up at baseball just to find out that the practice just ended.   I do admit, it is stressful, and sometimes I wonder if we shouldn’t just cut back and slow down.

But….there are some exciting parts of the Taxi Years.  Beyond the fact that I get to watch my kids’ interests develop as they try many things, my 11 year old is fast moving towards adolescence and teenager-hood.  The moody years are not far away (sometimes we already get a glimpse). Those times in the car?  That’s when he will open up and tell me things that have happened in his day.  He will ask questions about the world or about things that he is feeling.  Listening to the two boys be silly in the back can bring a big smile to my face.  And if I ever drive some of his friends, that is really fun.  After a while, they seem to forget I am there and if I am quiet and listen, I can really get an insight into how my kiddos relate to their peers and form their friendships.

So, while the Taxi Years do bring challenges and stress my organizational skills to the core, I think I’m okay to hold onto them just a little bit longer.  Soon enough the kids will be driving themselves around, which will bring a whole new level of stress and challenge.  Until then {checks the whiteboard} we’re off to Taekwondo class. Taxi is gassed up and ready to go.