If you drive your children to school, you should think about car pooling with people that live in the same area. My kids are too young to catch the bus by themselves and it's too far for us all to walk (especially on in the weather we've been getting lately!) but at a notice board at the office I found another mother that lives three blocks away from me who was looking to car pool. After meeting her a couple of times it turns out our kids are quite chummy anyway. Now I use less petrol every week as we take turns in picking up our kids AND I've made a new friend!