Ten years ago, I was the young woman who was focused solely on her career and who also used to take her dogs to day care. More recently, and I’m embarrassed to say this, I was also the mom who judged other moms in line at the McDonald’s drive-thru. I mean, did they not know how bad that food was for their children?
But here I am today, a changed woman who often forgets she still has two dogs, and I’m ready to talk about what no one’s talking about.
The importance that the “drive-thru” has on the lives of moms with {multiple} young children.
I say multiple, because I recently changed roles from “man-to-man” to “zone-defense;” for the non-sports fans out there, this means my husband and I are now OUTNUMBERED. Before there were three of them, I would never, and I mean never, feel so strongly about the drive-thru. I used to be fully capable of taking my two young children out in public. We would go to the park, to the grocery store, and even the mall!
That’s how in-control of the situation I used to be.
But the other day I was brought to my judgy-knees when we were out of milk and my husband was out of town. There were two very angry toddlers and a newborn in the car and I did what any resourceful mom would do – I found a drive-thru near my house solely for the purpose of buying milk. I bought 8 small cartons that day, and as I drove away with my milk, my waffle fries, and two chocolate chip cookies I didn’t need, I thought…
…there is so much missing in the drive-thru world.
I can’t imagine I’m the only person afraid to drag my children into a store for a few crucial items. And what if I could drive through a store to get the latest Blaze monster truck and a size 2 Swaddler diaper 152-count pack? You guys, WHAT IF?
We need more drive-thrus! Drive-thrus that provide essential items for moms, so we don’t have to get out of the car. Do retailers not understand how many of us are on the road each day just looking for errands to run, where we can stay in the car? Here’s what I’m thinking:
I would like a drive-thru grocery store, solely for essential items, where my order is placed right at the window (none of this online ordering nonsense). Same applies to Target and Walgreens. We also need more non-fast-food drive-thrus, I’d prefer an organic, healthy, take-out spot. I would go all the time, if I knew I could find healthy options. I think we’d all agree drive-thru preschool drop-offs would be incredible. It takes me twenty minutes just to get all three kids in the building! I mean, if you think about it, it’s just rude to make us get out of the car. And can someone bring back the drive-thru liquor stores already?
I know there are many moms like me out there, moms that have the same needs.
I see you, and I am here to tell you that I will judge no more. And to those of you wondering “how hard is it really” to just go run an errand with these short people, I tell you: your time will come my friend, your time will come.
Now let’s all meet at the local Chick-fil-A.
I don’t know why those drug stores that already stock milk and diapers don’t catch on we need to be able to buy those things at the pharmacy drive thru. All the infrastructure is already there.
I mean, right?!?
You can order items from Walmart on-line and they will bring them to your car!!!! This is new in SC and I think it is awesome!!! Hopefully it will be in your area soon.
So funny! Here in the Midwest we have grocery stores (Hyvee) that will deliver your groceries free of charge if you spend $100 which is nothing for my family of six! They also will do curbside delivery where I order online and pull up outside and give them a call and they load my car for me. When it’s below zero there is no way I’m putting my kids in the car for a grocery store trip! Also our preschools and grade schools all have drive up, drop off and pick up! My daughters preschool teacher even unlatches and latches her in the car seat! I love the Iowa Quad Cities!
I think about this all the time!
Shipt delivers groceries from Publix. After #4 came along, I didn’t even have enough room to put all the kids in the cart, let alone any groceries. And I never even have to get dressed or load everyone in the car. Amazon Now does deliveries in Orlando too for Prime memebers. I agree that there should be more drive-thrus. I wish more places like Chipotle had one.
Yes I so agree with you. When I was little and grocery stores closed at like 8pm our town had a “quick stop” in the parking lot of the kroger.i think kroger supplied it maybe. Anyway, you could drive thru and get milk bread eggs juice etc. Basically everything you needed to get through the next morning. It was great. With our audition, calls, and performance schedules (we were child models/actors) and my mom worked as a teacher, it was a Godsend for my mom. I wrote HEB about it years ago when my daughter was born but I never got a response. I guess they depend too much on those impulse buys from those milks runs at 9pm to HEB.
Ahhh!!! Finally!! Why the HECK can we not get a drive thru at the post office?! It’s the worst place to take a child, not to mention THREE. And then everyone looks at you like you have three horns instead of children…all because Amazon didn’t want to leave a package on your “unprotected” porch. Please, for the love of stamps and sanity, can we put in a freakin’ drive thrice USPS??!
AMEN TO THE POST OFFICE! And OMG I’m with you! The last time I HAD to go to the post office was because they didn’t feel comfortable leaving a shirt I ordered. A forty-five dollar shirt! SMH.
Definitely agree with the post office! I did recently learn that I can buy stamps from my bank ATM machine which is drive up, who knew!?!
This is hilarious and SO true. So you can buy cartons of milk from Starbucks? SWEEEET!
And Chick-fil-A. And any fast food drive through.
I have been saying this for YEARS now! I am glad there is at least drive thru Starbucks and panera, but there needs to be more.
I remember there being a drive up dairy store in Jax beach (fl here) back in the day–skinner’s dairy. Where is that place now?:( milk, and other grocery like items.
I mean we have drive thru liqour stores, which don’t get me wrong, it’s great! But why can’t this be applied for other things?
Right? I mean, honestly we moms are trying to help the retailers, really. A little, you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.
Walmart has an option where you can order your groceries online and they gather your items for you. Then you drive up, let them know you are there and they will bring your groceries out to your car. You don’t even have to get out! Check your local Walmart to see if they have that service. I live in Houston so I’m not sure about Denver area Walmarts.
So tell me more. I’ve always had trouble ordering online at our local stores. But I guess the less I order the easier it would be. What’s your experience been?
I recently used the Walmart curbside pickup & it worked flawlessly! I had my 3 week old infant in the vehicle & all of the groceries that I had ordered the day before were brought right out to me & loaded into the trunk! It was beautiful! Of course, the downside is that I had to order the day before so it has to be a planned idea….you can’t just forget milk, order it & go pick up in an hour. Oh, minimum order was $35 (I think)–but that’s only a gallon of milk & a box of diapers, right? ?
How about a drive thru bathroom so when I have sleeping twins and have to pee so bad I don’t have to wake them and get the stroller out and almost pee in the process and heck yes we need drive-thru for essential items !
Oh, Gwenn, how much I love your comment. YES! What if you don’t want to wake your babies? In the meantime, an adult diaper. Right?! Or whatever needs to happen to NOT make you stop the car. I mean, hats off to you for having two babies of the same age, mama. How do you do it?!? I bow down.
The new “drive thru” for me has been Prime Now by Amazon. Seriously guys, they will deliver Ben & Jerry’s to your door. It’s fabulous if your city has it.
Publix grocery store in certain areas delivers from an online grocery list to your front door!!
Love it!! Thanks Lauren.
I have driven up to the Walgreens window and asked for OTC meds for my sick son. I was also filling a prescription, but the pharmacist cheerfully went into the main store to get the other items for me! I don’t know if I just got lucky or if this is an unpublicized service. It was the middle of a weekday and nobody else was waiting…
But YES, more drive-through options would be wonderful!
In the small town my dad is from in Ohio there is a drive-thru convenience store. They have all of the essentials: milk, bread, diapers, alcohol ? I’ve been saying we need one in Denver for years. ?