The car.
Another word for “remote, mobile bedroom.”
Seriously though, what is up with kids and cars? It’s almost as if their life’s ambition is to get that back seat (and flooring) covered with as many books, toys, broken crayons, crumpled pieces of paper, and dirt from every place known to man. I don’t think we’ve ever gone more than a week without tears over a beloved toy broken from being stepped on, or a book page torn out.
And it’s not like we never clean. I think we give the car a good cleaning out every month…or two. And we manage to fill up an entire Costco apple box full of trash, books, toys, Legos, crayons, notebooks, clothing, and Lord knows what else. But each time we clean, it amazes me how much JUNK gets in there!
So we’ve set some rules. The one we’re a stickler about is no food. That’s the one steadfast rule that stood from the moment we got our car. Now that the kids are all grown up, I no longer want to clean up crushed, stale, and sticky Cheerios, or Baby Yum-Yums. I do, however, allow them to bring their breakfast shakes in, since they rarely have enough time in the morning to actually eat their breakfast.
The other rule that we instated: You bring it in, you take it out.
Doesn’t seem that hard, right? You bring something in, you should be able to take it right back out when we get home. Here’s the part where I plead with you, friends. WHY IN THE WORLD DOES THIS NOT WORK??? I know it probably has something to do with consistency and followthrough on my part, but who has time for that? (I guess I really should. Then my car wouldn’t be a mess.)
I guess I’m a bit of a pushover in the car because, well, as most moms know, a car full of happy and content kids = a much more enjoyable ride. A car full of bored kids with absolutely nothing to keep their minds occupied = major meltdowns waiting to happen. I’d much rather drive to the tune of happy chatter than listen to whines and tattles.
The car also happens to be imagination central when we’re waiting for the older sibling. Cup holders are a kid’s best friend. Every gadget invented in the backseat has gotten full use. (I think one is supposed to be a trash bag holder? Does anyone actually use that feature??) My Little’s got her buddies all safe and secure on their rides to school or practice. The arm rests transform into diving boards or mountains ready for trekking. The back of our car (which is really an SUV) becomes a secret clubhouse, complete with spy windows and sleeping quarters.
Although we live on a relatively small island, and don’t travel really far too often, I can honestly say that the kids and I spend the majority of the time outside of our house in the car. So naturally, they feel at home there. And by the looks of it, I can totally confirm that theory.
So we’ll keep on with our once a month cleaning, much like how we treat their bedrooms. And they’ll continue to see their travel time, not as a prison cell, but rather a fun zone. I’ll just crank up the tunes and enjoy the ride.
This is part of the Write 31 Days series, “Going on Six.” To read more from this series, please click here. Thank you!
