I sat in my Big Red Chair one morning last week eating breakfast, drinking my first cup of coffee and gazing out the window, watching THE PARADE OF TEEN CARS go by.

My daughter, of course, pulled out from in front of our house several minutes before the others as she has further to go. Then the boy next door pulled out about 10 minutes later, with the boy living next door to him on his bumper. Bam, bam, bam. Three teens, in three cars, in three houses right in a row.

The irony of this scenario for me is that the two kids living closest to us are going to the same place, two miles from our street. Both have cars and are driving that short distance, but my daughter, who goes to the furthest school and whose friends live furthest away, has no friends who are driving. The only one who does lives in a different city, goes to a different school and does not have a car at her disposal.

What this means for us is that my daughter or I are always picking up her friends to bring them here or take them places. The same was true when my oldest was in high school.

I’ve been very careful to make sure my daughters know they are no one’s limo service, but if they’re on their way from school to home, or they want to have their friends over, or they’re on their way to the movies or something, it’s fine if they drive their friends. Sometimes my youngest will even run them all home after a sleepover. That’s fine too because I like being the house they most often congregate at, but they are not to just start running random errands for their friends.

My only issue with none of my daughter’s friends driving is that in this time of my being, it would be really convenient if one of them was driving and had her own car. They could house sit over spring break.

They can physically house sit without driving and one of my oldest daughter’s friends did once, but then their parents have to drive out here, as needed, throughout the week. And it also depends on whether the kids feel comfortable living in a strange house in a strange neighborhood for a week (although I mean strange as in unfamiliar, there are some odd people about, but they’re harmless).

I also find it ironic that the two kids who practically live in our backyard are not really capable of house sitting for various reasons of reliability, animal paranoia or just busyness. The one friend who lives walking distance and is more than capable of house sitting animals (let’s face it, the house is fine, it’s the animals that need taking care of) is going to the same place we’re going over spring break (Disney, not the college).

I have a potential adult to housesit, but haven’t confirmed her schedule yet. However, I’m confounded by all these resources at my fingertips, yet none are available. Not even my oldest daughter because she’s still in school (although she’s our ride to and from the airport).

It’s a frustrating dilemma to be sure and it’s time I just got it off my chest: What’s the point of living in a neighborhood watching a bunch of kids grow up if they can’t house sit by the time they’re old enough? And now that I’m saying it out loud, what’s the point of birthing my own children if they just grow up and move away and can’t house sit because they’re in college or living in apartments of their own?

This is what happens when kids don’t drive. I’m just sayin’. I’m not bitter or anything.

Gretchen Leigh is a stay-at-home mom who lives in Covington. You can also read more of her writing and her daily blog on her website livingwithgleigh.com or on Facebook at “Living with Gleigh.”Her column is available every week at maplevalleyreporter.com under the Lifestyles section.