From the pictures I post on Facebook, it's easy to focus on the fun activity we are usually participating in and not think too much about all the other messy details. Social media is fun that way. However, a lot of the time, be it coming or going, I feel like my constant mantra is "Let's Go!" And it's not always said nicely or patiently.

Whether you have one child or four, going somewhere in the car is not as simple as when you are going somewhere by yourself. No matter how much time I plan for us to get ready, I feel like we always end up leaving five to ten minutes after my ideal departure time. Now sometimes, it's not a big deal - it doesn't usually matter if you get to the library or the playground late. But some things do matter - meeting the schoolbus, getting to a birthday party, etc.

We've all been there: doing the potty/shoes/jacket scramble, counting 1-2-3 multiple times, cajoling children to sit in their car seats to be buckled, inevitably losing our cool by the end. Then we're sweating before we've even left the garage, and more times than not one kid is crying as we pull out of the driveway.

Sometimes I feel really bad and I think "next outing we'll just take our time and not rush rush rush." I don't like getting into these power struggles with my kids about getting in the car. But sometimes I think "these are skills my kids need to learn - they need to take on personal responsibility and learn about punctuality."

I could theorize about how we're all too rushed in this day and age because we're involved in too many activities. However, regardless, children have to leave the house in the car to go places, no matter what. It's part of most families' routines, sometimes multiple times a day. Sometimes I feel like a drill sergeant, and I'll look for new strategies or motivators to make the "going" easier.

I guess in the end there's no getting around "let's go." But some days it's easier than others. And it's certainly nice to have days in between where we don't have to "go" anywhere.