I spent my teen years growing up on a rural property on the outskirts of Melb. We lived 8kms out of the closest town (Hurstbridge) which didn't have a lot on offer, as gorgeous as it is. The closest surburban town was a 25 minute drive away. We didn't go to the school in Hurstbridge but to another and it meant we had a 45 minute bus ride there and back, plus a 15 minute drive to get to the bus stop. I had one after school activity of band practice at school which mum would come and get me, and my brother had a part time job after school, two towns away.

It didn't bother us. Mum made the commitment of driving us where we needed to go within reason. We didn't request to go anywhere much during the week. If we wanted to spend the weekend with our friends from school, we'd make use of the school buses and catch our friends buses instead of our own. There was no public bus and the nearest train was only accessible by car. We never got told by mum or our friends parents that it was too far to visit each other. My best friend during school lived around a 40 minute drive away - all it meant was if we couldn't utilise the school bus, one parent would do the drop off and the other would do the pick up. We made friends with the local neighbours kids who went to different schools to us, so there was always someone around. The school bus ended up being another social event in itself! Once I turned 18 and got my licence, I accepted that I lived the furthest out and I was generally designated driver - because I either had to drive to someone's house to begin with, or just drive everyone. I think it kept me away from the heavy drinking binges that lots of teens get into because I had to rely on myself to get home and a taxi was just far too expensive.

You'll find that not all of your kids' friends will live in town, lots will live out of town and be doing what you're anticipating doing, driving their kids around, using school buses, etc. It becomes the norm. And having lived in the 'burbs until I was a teen, and living again in what is quickly becoming the 'burbs, well, I'd take the rural life and all the stuff it brings with it any day. HTH