Yep. We Got The Minivan DVD Player.
Hell has frozen over.
Our family got a van. And in that van we have an installed DVD player. And it's our favorite feature. No, actually the headphones that make it silent in our van are our favorite feature.
All of this, if you know my boisterous husband and myself is pretty hilarious.
Because for YEARS we exclaimed from the rooftops that we would NEVER EVER get one of those "child ignoring devices" for our car.
We would interact with our children. On long road trips, on short rides. We'd play games and sing songs in Spanish and culture their damn brains out.
We made our own baby food and did baby sign language. We did cute sensory play like coloring snow with paint and about a million Pinterest inspired things.
We got upset when our sons first snack was Goldfish crackers.
I know.
And then what happened? What changed our minds and our very rigidly structured parenting ideals?
We had a second child. And he got goldfish and watched about 75% more TV than his brother at the same age.
Then we had a third child. And our ideas of what constitutes enriching our kids has changed! It's not that we don't strive to do quality activities with our kids or regulate their interaction with electronics and media. We just realize that it won't kill them, that pouches are cheaper and quicker than purified homemade purees, and that yes, a DVD player in the car is freaking life changing on a long distance road trip.
If you're striving to do the same things with your first and subsequent children, that's amazing and I support that! What you'll probably find, is that your ideas of parenting and your own philosophies will change and adapt with every age and stage just as your kids begin to grow and develop.
I am so happy to get the teasing and jokes from family. Bring it on! I've become confident in the way I parent and that means making some changes for the good of the pack!
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