Confession: I Love My Minivan

Minivan I do

Confess my delight in you

Your sliding doors,

Your room for more

For another 10 years –

You’re my boo.

If writing a love note to my minivan is wrong, I don’t want to be right. I know, I know – it’s to many perceived as a sign of resignation, defeat even. A sign that you are letting go of yet another sign of your real self – your real life – and taking on yet another daily sign that says (yells?) “I am a mother! Kids are here! I prefer function over form!” A sign that oh so many are weary of proclaiming. However, I’m here to tell you: come on in, the water is fine.

We bought our first minivan before we had our second child, early by most people’s definition. We had a large SUV, and I was tired of dealing with the doors and lifting a kid up and in and was not interested in doing it for two kids. I feel like I need to also mention here that our first minivan (that’s right, we’ve had three) was the epitome of uncool. It was ice blue – need I say more? The minivan of the 80-year-old, to be honest. Yet, I was thrilled to drive that thing at the ripe old age of 24, because it had the elusive minivan perks. What are these perks, you ask?!

Sliding doors and a low profile. What does this mean? My kids can load themselves. There is nothing better! All of our kids are pretty young, and the fact that they can all run out and get themselves into their car seats is some days the only thing that saves my last little shred of sanity while I’m gathering the eighth shoe, filling a travel cup, and making sure I didn’t forget my phone/a child on our way out the door.

So. Much. Room. In each of our vans, we have set up the seats so that there is an empty spot where the middle row driver side seat would be. Not only does this allow me to hop in easily to buckle all four car seats pretty quickly without doing many contortions, it leaves a nice area for those inevitable emergency diaper blow outs, clothing changes, and dare I say it? Potty spot. Oh yes, we travel with a little potty in the back of the car for emergencies.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m human, and I covet the boxy look of the SUV in the same way that I covet how some women can wear leggings as pants and look cute as a button. It just isn’t the time in my life for that right now – (the SUV or the legging/pants, just to clarify). All of this to say, if you are looking for an excuse to come over to the dark side; to join the leagues of families who have given up the fight of climbing over seats and having their kids ding other cars in parking lots with their doors; I’m your gal. Minivans for life!*

*OK, maybe not life. Maybe just this phase. Tomato, to-mah-to.