“I will NEVER have a minivan!”
There are few things that I said I would “never” do once I became a parent, I think it’s because with two younger sisters who were so much younger than I was I had grown up with littles and had a pretty good grasp on the reality of raising children. Declaring my hatred of minivans and vowing I would never own one, however… well, let’s just say I have a good chuckle about that nearly every day as I’m peering at my four little mess-makers sitting in the back of my van.
If you had told me that one day I would be writing a blog post on all the reasons why I love my minivan, I would have told you that you were wrong. Yet here I am sharing four reasons why I’ll happily rock the “mom van”.
One word, convenience
Say what you will but nothing beats a minivan when it comes to convenience. Mike and I did a lotTON of research before purchasing and when you factor in the space, flexibility of seating, and all the little features that came with the particular van we bought, there’s no comparison. When we looked at different types of vehicles it seemed like you were always either sacrificing leg room, number of seats, or trunk space. Anybody with even one child can attest to how much extra “stuff” you need when you travel anywhere with a kid in tow. When I think about how crammed we were in our crossover SUV even just with two kids (Let alone once we had three! Shudder!) and how much more space we have now when we go on trips, I can’t believe it.
Bang for your buck
We knew we wanted to pay cash so we purchased a pre-owned minivan… buying a new one can be like making a mortgage payment; but the same is true and often worse with any other large vehicle, like say, an SUV. Sure, a big SUV can give you lots of room too–and trust me, we looked at them–but when you take into account not only the price tag of the vehicle but also the gas mileage you’re going to get? No contest.
My kids think it’s cool
It’s true; my kids have called our minivan “the shiny fast car” since the day we bought it. I don’t know why… it’s not like I drive it any faster than I used to drive our other car but they just love going places in “the shiny fast car”, and if the car is cool I must be cool by association, right?
It means I’m a mom
Maybe most importantly I drive the “mom van” because I have been blessed with four little ones that know me by the name mom. Our car, our house, our hearts are all full. Actually, we do have two more seats in our van so it’s not completely full… wink wink. Yeah, I doubt that I would drive a minivan if I didn’t have a handful of children, but I’m okay with them being the reason that I “have” to.
I would like to add that I am in no way bashing vehicles that aren’t minivans. I want you to rock whatever mode of transportation works for you and your family, whether it be a minivan, sedan, or unicycle. I just feel like minivans often get a bad rap (coming from a former offender) and I wanted to share why it works so well for our family of six.
17 Responses to 4 reasons why I’ll happily rock the “mom van”
Love the post and I am so excited about our future collaborations! The decal looks AWESOME on your mini-van!
YES! This post is excellent. How crazy that you have to give the disclaimer that you are not bashing other vehicles, but you have to say it or someone's car will get their feelings hurt. I know. I love the mama bear sticker and even though it's only been 4 months I LOVE my mini van.
PS I just favorited your friends shop. I lived in Woodstock throughout my middle school years. Small world.
Haha! Love that they call it the shiny fast car! I only have one kid and am considering buying a van. SO MUCH STUFF! 🙂 cute decal too. I'm going to check out her shop.
Oh I totally want to rock the mom van but my hubby says he refuses to be seen in one. I'll have to share your post with him. 🙂
I am not a mom & can't imagine driving a minivan BUT I think they are pretty darn convenient!!
Love that sticker! Way to embrace mom life!
I love this so much!
Thanks so much Kate! I love it, and I especially love that I can easily find it in a parking lot now. 🙂 I'm excited as well!!
LOL, disclaimers are my bff. You just never know in this crazy social media world… I will say though, many other cars are good, but none are quite as perfect as my mom van. 😉
Oh good! That's crazy, it is a small world. 🙂
It's amazing how much your "stuff" multiples with each kid! Ugh. 🙂 But they're cute so I'll put up with it.
Totally, tell him all the cool hubbies are doing it. 😉
I totally get it, trust me! But yes, the most convenient vehicle EVER once you have a few kids.
LOL, thanks Shane!
Thanks for your sweet comment Neely!
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[…] might remember that Creative House Gifts is where I received my adorable “Mama Bear” vinyl decal from that I wrote about in my “mom van” post. Well, Kate has generously offered […]