Never say never

My children were never going to have a DVD player in the car. When we bought our van, I specifically did not look at any that had DVD players in them. I did not want one. It wouldn't be necessary. As a child, I managed to make the yearly trip to New York and back without one (not that they were available then). We entertained ourselves just fine without watching something on TV - we played games, listened to tapes, watched the scenery go by...........my kids would certainly do the same, right?

Then came the reality of driving to New York with Sam. What did I do in preparation for the trip? You got it - bought a DVD player. And I have justified it to myself in quite well, I think.

First of all, there is no way I was as squirmy as Sam. This kid has 2 settings: moving or asleep. The only thing that makes the moving setting bearable in the car is entertainment. So, either I was going to have to entertain him for 8 hours straight in the car for 2 days, or I could get some help from Mickey Mouse and Dora.

Secondly, when I was little, it was not required by law to be strapped in to a car seat. The recommendation for tightness of car seat straps is that you are only able to put two fingers between the strap and the kid. This restricts movement pretty well. Sam, however, requires about a half a finger clearance because he is able to free his arms from the arm straps if given the space of even one finger. I remember trips to New York, taking turns sitting on Mom's lap in the front seat or laying on the shelf behind the backseat of the Volkswagon rabbit. When we took the station wagon Mom and Dad put a playpen in the back and we hung out there the whole way. If Sam could do that, we'd be fine. But instead, the poor kid is pretty much in a straight jacket in the backseat.

About 5 o'clock on the first day Sam said, "Mom, I tired of sitting in my seat." My reply: "Sorry Sam, that's the rules. Want to watch another movie?"