by Feature08

Created on: July 29, 2008

It happens all the time, in parking lots across America. Women maneuvering large vehicles into parking spots best suited for sedan sized vehicles or smaller. As if that weren't feat enough, she finally wins the battle and pulls out the collapsed stroller, opens it, gets the kids to behave, situates each in the appropriate stroller slots, and as you exit the establishment, she finally enters with several kids in tow.

No matter the difference in physical features, dress or the make and model of the minivan, minivan drivers always come across as harried and overworked Soccer Moms. And it is not a very appealing look.

Hence, if you are not a harried, overworked Soccer Mom or, if you are, and no longer want to appear that way, you might seriously consider giving up the minivan.

The following are observations that might serve some well in determining whether or not driving a minivan is necessary.

1. How many kids do you have? If you have only one or two kids, you already know that a minivan is not necessary.

2. Be selfish. Even if you are encouraged to join the alternating car pool for your kids after school activities, live your lifestyle, not theirs. You might consider limiting the number of parents you partner with or searching within yourself to determine how beneificial the arrangement is for you before jumping in.

3. Let your kids walk. If they are old enough to get into the stroller themselves, and connect the complicated seatbelts, they are old enough to walk during the few short errands. Encouraging kids to walk would eliminate both the need to bring out the heavy duty stroller, and the moving storage solution that is often the minivan's floor.

4. Do it alone. Just like mother's block out time for themselves to do other things, blocking out time to run errands alone would probably be just as beneficial. Just take a look at the hours of setback caused by having to load and unload the vehicle when it can be done alone in an hour or two.

5. Consider driving a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) instead. The gas prices should be approximately the same, you can get more or less room in the SUV depending on your needs, and it looks cool.

It's not that appearing cool is the most important thing, on a mother's mind, but why the minivan right of passage? Assuming there are no quads, quints, other high multiples or in other words, a slew of kids in the picture, does having a minivan really make things easier?

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