We Carpool

This week Tyler started riding to school with Elena and her dad Weining. We've been taking Elena home from school for a few weeks now but I was finally (almost) ready to have Tyler carpool now. Sunday I talked to Irene about having Tyler start carpooling but then talked to Rob about it and decided I didn't think Tyler was ready. Rob listened and then said "Laura, I don't think you're ready". Yes, that was exactly it. I am so afraid something will happen to him that it's hard to let go sometimes. I know it's not realistic for me to think that he'll never travel in someone else's car or be in someone else's care but it's just so hard to trust that he'll be safe and okay.
I had a chat with Tyler about carpooling with Elena's dad Monday morning over breakfast. He was faking crying and saying that he didn't want to go because he was scared. He couldn't really say why he was scared, just that he'd never been in anyone else's car before besides grandma's. I explained that I could continue to take him to school for a while longer but at some point he would have to carpool. When I told him it was just part of getting older and that eventually he'd have to carpool with his friends to and from games, he became more relaxed. Immediately he told me he was ready to carpool. I asked if he meant later in the week and he said "no, today". After praying over him for protection and safety, we waited outside for Weining. Tyler was ready to go, no tears, no clinging. As he drove away, I felt nervous but at the same time a huge relief that we didn't have to load all three boys up and rush off to school. Ryan and I still had a whole hour before we had to leave to take him to preschool. I'm still amazed at how freeing it is to carpool. The drive to and from Valley Academy everyday was wearing me out. Now, it's not bad at all.