Tips for a Successful Carpool to School Call everyone on your match list. The more options you explore the better. Decide how many days that you will Carpool to School. You can start with one day a week and see how that goes. Carpool to School is flexible. You can make arrangements with one carpool for the morning and another in the afternoon. Have a lunch or play date to get to know the families on your list. Discuss your schedules, arrange pick-up and drop-off points, and decide how to share carpool costs and driving responsibilities. Work out a calendar and assign responsibilities. Establish weather and tardiness issues. Establish ground rules for behavior in the car. Discuss each parent's obligations, how to handle emergency situations and other guidelines. Parents should have proper insurance and driver's licenses. If you are going to be a driver, offer up front to show the others your information. Children should be ready and waiting. Make a seating chart to avoid arguments and rotate seating to keep things fair. Always use seat belts. Some "big kids" still need booster seats! Check out Oregon's law on car seats http://www.actsoregon.org/csr/subtext/law.html. Ensure you know how to use someone else's car seat properly. Decide what, if any, music can be played and what food, if any, can be eaten in the car. Encourage children to practice politeness, using "please" and "thank you".