OK, we have a few weeks of school under our belts. And we know what we need, so here are our ideas. Feel free to steal them, fund them, promote them to us and we’ll market the heck out of them!
Uber-Carpool: With multiple kids, multiple schools or multiple divisions within the same school and multiple schedules, we have discovered these truths:
- Our kids need to be in lots of different places, sometimes at different times, but sometimes at the same time.
- If we are the chief driver, we can’t work full-time. Really.
- We want to trust other drivers. But the permutations of our own kids’schedules leaves us gun-shy to include other adults.
- Our adult kids LOVE Uber. And it seems to work pretty well.
- We want a safe Uber experience for our kids, where they can call up a car from their ubiquitous cell phones, where we will be charged on our debit cards, and we will know the name of the driver.
School Supply Shopping Professionals: Again, we print the lists off the websites year after year. Private schools also include book purchases, too. The takeaway: This time of year is expensive and can be nerve-wracking, as the old supplies have to be culled, and we feel obligated to find the best deals. So, here are a few ideas:
- Some schools sell bundled school supplies, already grade-appropriate, pre-bought, with a small profit going to the PTA. We love it. Make it universal. And for those schools that don’t have it, let your non-profit step in. We don’t mind helping to support other great causes and getting our kids’stuff bought in the process.
- Personal Shopper for our Dresses?…heck, we know what looks good on us. No, go through our kids’10 sets of colored pencils, erasers, calculators (which ones are OK for the new SAT?) and take them shopping. Or if you’re super good at it, don’t even involve our kids…but if you pick them up from soccer, you can combine Uber Carpool and Personal Shopper.
Closet Organizers: Those darn kids keep growing. Come over, watch them try on their old clothes, determine if they fit (we will all abide by your decision) and make the definitive list of what has to be bought for the new school year. You can even tell us what are fashion must-haves. We will adhere to your list!
Private Equitable Start-Up: Everybody talks about private equity funds. We’re talking Private Equitable. Help us come up with a ratio to show our partners how much of this school transition falls on our shoulders. With your scientific data, we are armed to help our partners step up to the plate.
It’s a great feeling when your kids are back to the routine, learning and growing with friends. We just could use a little help in the transition.
