Carpool Confessions

Love makes you do weird things, especially when you have teens.  Me?  I spy on my kids.

My sleuthing is spurred by a new trend.  The more time my kids spend at school, the less inclined they are to talk about it. Their silence might stem from fatigue, but I suspect their reticence is caused by a baffling condition known as adolescence.

Spying is the perfect way to combat this malady, and I do my best work in the carpool line. Fortunately, I don't have to work hard to be inconspicuous, because the teenaged mind naturally blocks out parental objects.  My surveillance usually goes as follows:

At 3:00pm, I drive over to school and assume my position in the carpool line. If I'm early, I chat with other mothers and gather evidence about our teenagers' mysterious ways. Once the school bell rings, I pull the minivan up to the sidewalk, wait for the kids to hop in, and eavesdrop on the way home. I've found that the more kids in the van, the more information gets spilled: We had a pop quiz today. Did you hear what Gertrude said to Harriet? There was a fight on the playground at recess.

I rely on motherly instinct to determine the best time to ask my kids about the information I gather at carpool. Strangely, they never question how I know things. Instead, they seem grateful for the chance to chat about the issues at hand. At the end of those talks, I'm always struck by how quickly my daughters are growing. Even more so, I'm reminded of how much I love them.

Spying does have its rewards. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to gas up my minivan.

This is an original post to Philly Moms Blog. You can read more from Lynn on her blog at For Love or Funny.