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| My New Mini-Van with the Kids in 2006 |
You are what you drive. Do you believe that? Some might find it crass, but in my case, it has been entirely true. When my 3rd baby was less than a month old, I traded in my small cute SUV for mini van mom status. I loved it! With three kids aged four and under, it was a perfect fit for our young family.
What could be so wonderful about being a mini van mom? Oh let me count the ways….
- Automatic sliding doors. A perfect fit for a baby carrier, and no dinging the car next to you.
- 14 cupholders!!! Nuff said.
- Spaciousness – enough room to let them run around while waiting in a parking lot, big enough they could change clothes before swim lessons and a spot for the training potty when little ones just HAVE to go.
- DVD player – With cranky toddlers, there is nothing that a good Dora or VeggieTales video can’t cure.
- A trunk to fit groceries AND a big stroller
- Safety and security to fit all my babies in their car seats without worry.
- Durable enough to handle a car full of sweaty, muddy soccer players.
- Automatic bonding with other moms of little ones driving mini vans.
After six years with my mini van we’ve traded it in for a mid-size SUV. I know you’re asking, “if I loved being a mini van mom so much, why get rid of it?” We did consider purchasing another Honda Odyssey, the best mini van in the world, but with the family growing and changing, so are our needs. And, in a sense, changing vehicles outwardly reflects my changing role as a wife, mother and woman as my family grows.
I’m no longer the mom of little bitty kids. Gone are the days with little people clinging to my legs, following me from room to room. Now that all three are at school together, I find myself spending more and more time not in “mom mode.” There are hours I have completely to myself every day and it’s so strange. It has been a real shock to my system over the last year.
This new season of my life is allowing me to rediscover my own identity as a woman, in addition to being a mom. And in a small way, choosing not to buy another mini-van, symbolizes to me that I’m ready to figure out who I am separate from my kids; at least for a few hours a day.
What does your car say about you?
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| Lisa Jones |
