I spend a lot of time in my car. I drive my kids to school every day(2 different schools)...so that is 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon. Then there is scouts, soccer, piano lessons, basketball, dance class, swimming, play dates...and I am only mentioning the things that involve my kids.
Now some of that time I am alone, once the kids are dropped off or before I pick up. What do I do with that time in the car? I listen to talk radio...this in my way of staying connected with the outside world and hear some news because I don't have time to read a newspaper.
When the kids are with me in the car we listen to CDs of music that we all like. At a young age, we got our kids into our music and life has been good every since. But over the music, we talk...alot. I find myself constantly saying, "in the car today, Carter(or Jared or Claire) said..." I have some of the greatest conversations with my kids in the car. We talk about music, friends, family, religion, politics, holidays, favorites, vacations, school (a little), and much more. I get a lot of "why" questions in the car. Sometimes I can answer them, sometimes I say, "ask dad about that one" and sometimes I let them know there is no way to know why. We just went through about a month of a game that consisted of saying "beetle bug (insert color)" for points when we spotted one. When a song is on that we all like, we sing together or at each other, which make Jared laugh when I turn around and sing a love song to him. Claire will always say, "mom, you sing the boy part and I'll sing the girl part" She loves to sing and knows all the songs.
But the best thing is when it is just me and one child in the car and we can really talk. It is now time for me to ask the questions. And with their answers I find out so much about them. Carter loves to talk and will move up from his seat in the back to the closest one to me (he can't wait till he can sit in the front seat) so we can hear each other better.
So, do I like to spend half my day in the car? No. But would I want it any other way? No way.
Now some of that time I am alone, once the kids are dropped off or before I pick up. What do I do with that time in the car? I listen to talk radio...this in my way of staying connected with the outside world and hear some news because I don't have time to read a newspaper.
When the kids are with me in the car we listen to CDs of music that we all like. At a young age, we got our kids into our music and life has been good every since. But over the music, we talk...alot. I find myself constantly saying, "in the car today, Carter(or Jared or Claire) said..." I have some of the greatest conversations with my kids in the car. We talk about music, friends, family, religion, politics, holidays, favorites, vacations, school (a little), and much more. I get a lot of "why" questions in the car. Sometimes I can answer them, sometimes I say, "ask dad about that one" and sometimes I let them know there is no way to know why. We just went through about a month of a game that consisted of saying "beetle bug (insert color)" for points when we spotted one. When a song is on that we all like, we sing together or at each other, which make Jared laugh when I turn around and sing a love song to him. Claire will always say, "mom, you sing the boy part and I'll sing the girl part" She loves to sing and knows all the songs.
But the best thing is when it is just me and one child in the car and we can really talk. It is now time for me to ask the questions. And with their answers I find out so much about them. Carter loves to talk and will move up from his seat in the back to the closest one to me (he can't wait till he can sit in the front seat) so we can hear each other better.
So, do I like to spend half my day in the car? No. But would I want it any other way? No way.
2 comments:
i find parent-child communication is enhanced when the kids are strapped down as well. but i wish i had one of those microphones that lets you fm broadcast to the car radio so that i wouldn't have to "project" my voice off the windshield to reach them.
I love your positive spin. There are a lot of advantages to car time. I like Joel's idea too, and the kids need their own mics as well.
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