Parenthood is an event that naturally calls into question your car. Is it safe? Is it big? Can I get baby in and out of the carseat without hurting myself completely?
Then, if you haven’t thought about it yet, someone says to you, “So, are you going to get a minivan?” A question to which most mothers initially give some kind of definitive answer. This question often elicits a very strong response; sometimes an emphatic YES! and at other times an emphatic one oath followed by an emphatic NO!
Add “minivans” to the list of polarizing topics for moms. I’m not going to compare the minivan debate to the breast v. formula feeding or disposable v. cloth diaper dilemma or co-sleep v. separate sleep scenario, but I would say that the minivan situation is different. emotional topic that mothers in the US face.
All I can think of is a small vehicle that creates such emotion and debate as a minivan. You won’t hear big debates and struggles over getting a sedan or convertible! Sure there are opinions and conversations about which make and model of sedan or SUV or sports car to get, but for a mom, the emotions and feelings that go into the minivan debate are unmatched by any other type. of the car. Talk to a group of moms at a playground and they can go on and on about minivans – good and bad.
The difference in the minivan debate is that, unlike some of the aforementioned debates, the minivan struggle is often internal. Joining the minivan club instantly adds you to the “soccer mom” roll call. In a sense, a minivan comes with a stereotype, one that some find uncomfortable. The type of vehicle we drive says a few things about us. For example, my first car was a 1998 Jeep Wrangler (still own it!!) – what do you think of me? That definitely gives rise to some kind of thinking and potentially preconceived notion about me. The minivan also forms an opinion thought for many – “soccer mom.” This judgment, for whatever reason, is often associated with a loss of personal identity for us mothers, and is completely valid. In fact, this sentiment can often be the deciding factor for some of us when it comes to the minivan debate.
