6 Reasons I'm a Minivan Mom

Minivans are one of the greatest inventions ever. Ten years ago I would have laughed in your face if you said that to me, but today I'd tell you that you are most definitely right. Not only do I have a kid now, but I've also grown up a lot and I'm a lot wiser.

Minivans might not be the coolest vehicle on the market, but I'm not interested in cool. Here are six reasons I'm a minivan mom:

1.

Stow 'n Go. I mean, really. I could make my case on this point alone. I grew up with a minivan, and whenever we needed to haul something my parents had to take out the entire bench seat from the back and leave it in our garage. Well, some genius decided that was a horrible way to do things and made it so you can collapse all the back seats in the minivan and they fold right into the floor! Not only that, but while the seats are up, you can store things underneath the seats. When we had our Jeep, we had to borrow my dad's 15-passenger van when we went to Ikea. Now we Stow 'n Go!

2.

Easy access to Rooney. On longer road trips, I often have to sneak into the back seat to feed Rooney. Or console her. Or replace her pacifier. Or clean up vomit. This could not be done as easily in an SUV with a center console.

3.

The price was right. Sure, a new minivan isn't cheap. But we are. So we bought a six-year-old used minivan and handed the salesman $1,200 and traded in our Jeep. The price was definitely right for us, and we don't have a car payment hanging over our heads.

4.

Automatic doors. I was on maternity leave when we bought our minivan. I was getting really tired of using my left arm to carry the infant car seat and diaper bag and using the other to open the Jeep door. Not only that, but I then had to hoist the car seat up into the vehicle. Now I press a button and the door magically opens. I even use this feature when I'm just carrying groceries. My back has never been happier.

5.

Gas mileage. Honestly, I don't care much about gas mileage or keep diligent track of it. But spending less on gas means spending more on other things like food or clothing. We used to have a Jeep Grand Cherokee, so it's not surprising that we get about five more miles per gallon with The Ram Van.

6.

Eric is a minivan dad. Honestly, Eric really wanted a minivan. He loves all things practical. I would have had to put up a huge fight to NOT buy a minivan, and it just wasn't worth it. As soon as we found out we were pregnant, he was planning this purchase. He often went to look at minivans and then would come home and tell me how awesome they are. He was the one talking me into it. And I'm so glad he did.

 What's your opinion on the minivan? (leave a comment below)