I remember that feeling of driving my brand new white Tahoe with my precious one-year-old in the back! I was a cool mom after all, and there was nothing better than cruising in my car. Even my son seemed to know how cool our ride was with his sippy cup and puffs in hand. Yes, this was the mom life of my dreams!
Then on a warm October day, I found out our family was expanding by three – yes triplets. After the initial shock, my husband and I began thinking about logistics. Would I go back to work? Did we need a bigger house? What type of vehicle would fit four car seats? I’ll never forget a text from a close girlfriend after I shared the news that I was car shopping. “Whatever you do, don’t get a minivan!” she typed. Of course I wouldn’t get a minivan! Obviously, I would get a Suburban. It was big and still “cool.” This was a no brainer! To my shock and dismay, Suburbans did not have four latch systems. Apparently, there are very few families looking to safely buckle a two-year-old and three newborns. Thus I began my journey into the minivan world.
As we shopped for minivans, I started to feel my coolness flying out of the sliding door of the minivan. Could I be “cool” as a mom of four in a minivan? Is that even possible? Can minivan and cool even be used in the same sentence? Six years later, I’m here to tell you it is possible!
As much as I hate to admit it, I love driving my minivan. When my children were little, I utilized the trunk space to crawl through and buckle and unbuckle them. My apologies to all of the carpool moms who have seen more of my backside than I’d like to admit! I’ve shimmied through the captain seats to pick up rogue cheerios and goldfish. I’ve magically opened the sliding doors with a touch of a button while trying to juggle four backpacks and all of our after school sports gear. We’ve enjoyed long drives to the beach complete with our flat screen drop down tv. Want to watch Moana, Minions, or Scooby Doo? The options are limitless! Need to pack three pack-n-plays, two double strollers, and clothes for a family of six? You can in a minivan. If your ipad is about to die, well, just plug it into your very own outlet in the back seat! Even with my large family, there is still room for a friend or two. I even have a bus driver mirror that allows me to see my boys fighting in the back seat. Top that Tahoe! And while all of these things are amazing, I might get my greatest thrill when driving through the Chick-Fil-A drive-thru. “Do you need a drink holder?” I always reply with a sly smile, “No, thank you. I have 19 cup holders in here!” I’ve even seen a Chick-Fil-A worker lean her head out of the window to look at my van as I drive out of sight. Is that admiration in her eyes? Does she too wish she could drive a minivan?
The truth is my “cool” standards have changed significantly as I’ve grown as a mother. I think it’s pretty “cool” that my kids are safe, entertained, and can all comfortably ride as a family together. We’ve made so many great memories together in our minivan that I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I have big plans for my sports car one day when my kids are grown, but right now, a minivan suits us just fine. And on most days, in my minivan, I feel pretty cool!
