Minivan Moms vs. SUV Moms

Dear Minivan, 

I’m sorry I hated you before. I SWORE I would never get you. SWORE. I’m too cool for a minivan…why do I need one??? I’m an SUV mom. I don’t need one. What ARE the minivan perks, anyway?

Reality check: I need a minivan.

I was like every mom (and dad) out there; I could not imagine a life where I would elect to drive the dreaded minivan. My friends and I swore we would never get one. We were too cool for a minivan; we didn’t need one. The stigma with minivans is that you are either hauling a bunch of kids or you have given up on being a cool mom. Being in the suburbs is hard—you have two types of moms: minivan moms and SUV moms. Minivan moms are perceived as wearing sweats all day, no makeup, and always going, going, going with all their dozens of kids in tow, whereas SUV moms are always put together with Starbucks in their hand and having lunch with friends while their kids are at school. How wrong could I be?

I have joined the minivan mom group. I can’t believe I have turned to the dark side and succumbed to my husband’s practicality, but he was right. It’s easier to own a minivan when you have a family. There are so many minivan perks. Granted, I only have one kid right now, but even with him, I’m always hauling dogs, friends, or grandparents around town. So to all of you SUV moms out there hesitant to take the leap, DO IT!!! You will still be a cool mom, I promise. 

4 Minivan Perks

-Sliding doors. Enough said. When you have your hands full with a wiggly toddler, car keys, and your purse, those sliding doors come in pretty handy. A push of a button and you can throw your little one in with ease. My son is fascinated with the sliding doors, and it’s so much easier for me to get in and out with him. He also has more to look at when I am driving. He can see out of both large door windows with ease and yells out what he sees all the time.

 -Head room. In my SUV mom days, my son would wiggle and squirm when I took him out of his car seat in the SUV and would constantly hit his head on the roof of the car and cry. Now with the minivan, not only does he have more room to wiggle, but there is also so much more head room for me to maneuver him in and out of the car.

 -Third row. My favorite part of the car. Plenty of space for everyone to stretch their legs and far enough away where I don’t have to hear all the noise. 

-Rear entertainment system. I’m lucky enough to have this feature in my minivan. The first day I got the minivan, I sat in the van alone in the driveway and watched part of a movie. It was bliss. Clearly this will be a huge asset for road trips and tantrums in the future. 

To all you minivan moms out there, I get it now. You are practical and sensible women who want to make your lives easier. You saw all the minivan perks, and you took one for the team. Way to go. SUV moms: you are still cool and you will always be my first love. No matter what side you are on, we are all cool moms. Don’t tell my husband, but I love my minivan.