34 Things to do in a Carpool Line
Ideas and Tips to Help Moms Get Organized and Reduce Stress
Sep 14, 2008
Whether you work full time, part time, or stay at home with your children, no one relishes the mindless hours spent during the school year in the carpool pickup lane. There’s no way to avoid this idle time: you can arrive 30 minutes early so you can whisk Johnny away as soon as school dismisses, or you can dawdle at the end of an interminably long line.
Instead of gnashing your teeth while you attempt to avoid the exhaust fumes of the person ahead of you, consider some ideas that can make this time fly. Choose a different focus area each week, and you may find yourself looking forward to time spent in the carpool line as the most productive or relaxing part of your day.
Cleaning and Organization
- Keep a container of dashboard wipes in the glove box, and spruce up your car’s interior.
- Clean out your handbag.
- Carry a small container of jewelry cleaner, and make your rings and earrings sparkle.
- Start or finish your weekly grocery-shopping list.
- Shake out your vehicle’s floor mats.
- Sort and match your family’s clean socks.
- Use dry silver wipes to polish your flatware.
- Write a few lines each day in your child's neglected baby book.
Stress Reducers
- Meditate for 10 minutes.
- Write an entry in your journal.
- Read a feature-length article in your favorite magazine.
- Drink a cup of herbal tea.
- Make an appointment for a pedicure or massage.
- Read vacation brochures, and plan your next getaway.
- Listen to a CD of your favorite off-color comedian.
- Call your parents, and let your child say hello before you end the call.
Financial Management
- Get the latest stock updates on your cell phone.
- Incorporate your grocery store's bargain loss leaders into this week's meal plan.
- Roll loose change into coin wrappers.
- Sort and file old receipts.
Hobbies
- Crop photographs for your scrapbooking project.
- Knit or crochet a few rows on a scarf or blanket.
- Complete a crossword or soduku puzzle.
- Sketch next year’s garden plot or peruse seed catalogs.
- Clip recipes from old magazines and file in a recipe box.
- Learn how to use the text-messaging function of your cell phone.
Beauty, Health, and Style
- File or paint your fingernails.
- Apply tooth-whitening strips.
- Use a rich hand moisturizer.
- Curl your eyelashes to banish midday droopy eyes.
- Mend torn clothing or stitch loose or missing buttons.
- Drink one of the eight recommended glasses of water.
- Engage in 10 minutes of isometric exercises.
- Eat a handful of nuts to receive immune boosting zinc.
Depending on the size of your vehicle and the length of your wait, you may feel emboldened enough to set up a mobile workstation for your hobby or tasks that travels wherever you go. Once you’ve reframed the time spent in your vehicle as an opportunity to accomplish a variety of small tasks, you’re sure to add more ideas to your carpool line to-do list.
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