February is all about love. Every aisle is filled with red and pink, and kids are hopped up on Valentine\’s carbs and sugar. So, we felt it would be fitting to celebrate one of the things GoKid loves this month – carpooling! In today’s blog, we are talking about more than why we go all heart-eyes for carpooling; we are also giving some tips for some fabulous ways to treat your carpool Valentines.
It’s No Secret – GoKid Loves Carpooling!
GoKid makes it easy to plan safe carpools for kids. There have already been over 500,000 carpools scheduled using our app! We’ve saved parents more than 10 million miles of driving through our carpool app. We are passionate about saving parents’ time, protecting the environment, and building communities. When you consider it all, what’s not to love?
Carpool Love Begins One Ride at a Time
Yes, carpooling can save you time and money. But, another reason why we love carpooling is that it builds communities. Whether you form a carpool with trusted families from your kid’s school or sports programs or form a carpool with co-workers, you get the unique opportunity to get to know others. Carpools are great ways to develop relationships beyond your traditional settings (such as school and work). As carpool drivers and riders get to know one another one ride at a time, you will build a community you love.
Surprise Your Carpool with Valentine’s Treats and Sweets
Bring a smile to your carpool by surprising your fellow riders with a special treat for Valentine’s Day. Bring heart-shaped doughnuts or coffee for the grown-ups, and surprise the kids with a special Valentine’s Day card and sweet treat.
Take the Carpool Crew Somewhere They Can Share the Love
One of our favorite ways to spread the love around Valentine’s Day is to share the love beyond the interior of your vehicle. For example, instead of taking the kids straight home from school, see if it is okay with the other carpool parents if you make a quick stop by a nursing home. Or, plan a weekend carpool get-together to pick up litter along your carpool route.
Make Earth-Loving Car Decisions
First, if you are choosing to carpool, you are already doing something good for the environment. Bravo! But, there are plenty of other ways you can show the Earth some love this month in addition to carpooling. For instance, practice routine maintenance. If your car runs better, it will last longer. This will cut down on the number of new cars being manufactured.
Wheels for Wishes also suggests, that “fuel economy drops 2 percent for every 100 pounds of excess weight in the car,” so clean out your car – especially the trunk. They also suggest changing your driving habits. This is because faster, more aggressive driving wastes fuel and increases emissions.
Finally, when it comes to carpooling, put an end to idling. As Wheels for Wishes explains, “It’s easy to forget how much idling your car contributes to emissions. Idling can burn anywhere from .16 gallons an hour for small cars to .84 gallons an hour for medium-weight trucks.”
Give Your Fellow Carpool Drivers Something Meaningful
During this love-filled month, it is a great time to show your fellow GoKid carpool drivers some appreciation. For example, you might want to give them a gift card to a local gas station, or you might want to get the carpool kids to wash and detail the vehicles on one of the driver’s days off.
What are you doing this Valentine’s Day to show some carpool love?
