Carfree Cambridge
Do You Want To Take a Flight To Happiness! Take On biking!
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Sitemap
  • Terms of Service
An Update On Our Carfree Life Now

An Update On Our Carfree Life Now (elementary aged kids)

Alan Barber July 10, 2018 General

It’s been years since we’ve written here regularly. But we’re still here. The kids are bigger. The jobs, commutes, and schools have changed. Our house is still tiny and we still don’t own a car or drive on a regular basis.

While we’ve done a lot of writing about biking with young kids, and we’ve done a lot of work helping other families figure out how to bike themselves, our approach to keeping life manageable without a car has always been to use a range of approaches. We walk a lot, we ride a lot of buses and rains, we bike, and one or two times a year (almost always vacation) we rent a car.

Transit reliant than it was when our kidsThese days our kids are older (ages 7 & 10), and over the years our approach has shifted to be much more Public Transit reliant than it was when our kids were younger. The infrastructure for safe biking in our area is paltry at best, and we’ve found that while it was manageable when kids were cargo, it has been challenging to get our kids to a truly independent for daily transportation biking. They are good bikers, very conscientious, very aware on the road, and fabulous on a bike path, but until they are older or the biking infrastructure changes substantially, it just has not worked for us to get them biking on independent bikes for our daily transportation needs. Bikes are still in the mix, but they are not the daily tools they were for us with toddlers and preschoolers.

Transit-reliant-than-it-was-when-our-kidsBut as we dialed down the bikes, we were able to dial up the buses and trains and still get everywhere we need to go. This has perks for both of our kids. Our younger kid, now 7 , remains an avid public transit enthusiast (yes, this kid), well versed on all the bus and train routes in the MBTA (it’s a little like living with a bus app), and still happy to take the train and bus all day for fun. This kid is only happy when we take more trains and buses (and often advocates for more complicated routes).

Our older kid has just this year (at age 10) gotten to a point where in certain circumstances she can take the bus completely independently. In particular, two days a week she takes herself from school to sports practice on the city bus. If it’s light out after practice, she can take the bus home. If it’s dark, then I meet her at practice and we bus home together. When our kids were little, I hoped this day would come, but now that it’s here, and I see we have a sensible independent kid who can take responsibility for some of her own transportation, it does feel like a wonderful payoff.

There is more to say, but this is where we are now. Carfree life is still possible and enjoyable for our family, even with bigger kids that have activities (and opinions)of their own.

Carfree with Kids

Related Posts

How are Norwegian sports clubs making money with dugnad

General/

How are Norwegian sports clubs making money with dugnad?

Now, dugnad idrettslag refers to activities when sports clubs are trying to fundraise money for their competition and championship trips, maintenance, and all activities that involve sports. On the other hand, volunteering also comes as an essential resource for every sports team, and it’s often crucial for the members to feel involved and be able to contribute to a noble cause.

What Should You Not Eat When You Have Diarrhea

General/

What Should You Not Eat When You Have Diarrhea

Getting diarrhea once in a while, maybe normal. It can be caused by an infection, parasites, lactose intolerance, food poisoning, some antibiotics, and many other causes. Since some foods can worsen diarrhea, it’s vital you know the foods to eat and the ones to avoid if you’re facing this problem. It’s always wise to eat […]

How Can I Find A Job Quickly?

General/

How Can I Find A Job Quickly?

Maybe you have just graduated, been laid off, or you have relocated to a new town, and you are looking for a new job soon than later. A lot of companies and businesses have a slow hriing procedure that you will be forced to follow. Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do about it. However, we […]

Recent Posts

  • How are Norwegian sports clubs making money with dugnad?
  • How Do I Get Pals Certified
  • What Should You Not Eat When You Have Diarrhea
  • How Can I Find A Job Quickly?
  • What Is A Reasonable Rate For House Cleaning

Teach Your Kid How To Ride A Bike

Categories

  • Family Bike
  • General
  • Health
  • Kids
  • Things to do
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • December 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • July 2018
© Carfree Cambridge 2021
Powered by WordPress • Themify WordPress Themes