I wasn’t going to be one of those parents. You know, the ones who feel the need to ensure that their little preciouses are constantly entertained or amused, lest there be a moment of boredom.
So the car DVD player wasn’t going to be something you’d find in my vehicle. No, my children would be content to delightedly chat together, look at books, colour, join in sing-songs or be amused by looking for horses out the car window. Fast forward a few thousand kilometres too many travelled down the highways and byways of Canada and the moment it all changed – when my neighbour gave us the portable DVD player they weren’t using anymore. Well, I thought, thanks, I’ll just tuck this away and likely will never use it.
But then I thought, why not? Let’s make this a treat on our next car trip. We’ll only use it once, put it away, and then maybe use it again in a year or so. Well, fast forward another few thousand kilometres travelled down the highway on family vacations, and the portable DVD player has been added to my regular arsenal of car trip survival tools. (Right up there with frequent bathroom breaks, mystery toys from the dollar store and the occasional Timbit bribe.) I’ve learned to embrace the portable DVD player for what it is – a useful tool that if used wisely and not abused, is fairly harmless. After all, when I travel by plane for business, I don’t amuse myself by merely staring out the window or joining in sign-songs (much to the delight, I’m sure, of my fellow passengers.) If adults can watch movies on planes, what’s the harm of kids watching a DVD (or two, but never three, I swear!) over the course of a very lengthy car trip.
By Mary, GGC staff
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Tell Us: What car games or ‘trick’s do you use to keep the kids busy on a long trip?
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