anyone buy your mini-van w/o DVD player-looking for pros and cons

Re: anyone buy your mini-van w/o DVD player-looking for pros and cons

I purposely chose no DVD player since I see too many moms that drive around town letting their kids watch videos everytime they are in the car. Just not my style. I think TV is in too many places now and kids need to learn how to just sit quietly or bring a book. Its like those TV shopping carts at the grocery store...they drive me nuts. Why is a child no longer expected to just behave for 45 minutes while their mother shops. They shouldn't need TV as their babysitter 24/7. Sorry for the rant!

When we do travel long distances we don't necessarily bring a DVD player every time. We play car bingo, check out music from the library and count different things we see on the road. Sure, we've brought one in the past and it is helpful at times, but I'm trying my best not to fall back on TV to keep the kids enteratined when we travel and especially not on a 20 minute drive to a park or something.

Re: anyone buy your mini-van w/o DVD player-looking for pros and cons

Posted by ddunne2

I purposely chose no DVD player since I see too many moms that drive around town letting their kids watch videos everytime they are in the car. Just not my style. I think TV is in too many places now and kids need to learn how to just sit quietly or bring a book. Its like those TV shopping carts at the grocery store...they drive me nuts. Why is a child no longer expected to just behave for 45 minutes while their mother shops. They shouldn't need TV as their babysitter 24/7. Sorry for the rant!

When we do travel long distances we don't necessarily bring a DVD player every time. We play car bingo, check out music from the library and count different things we see on the road. Sure, we've brought one in the past and it is helpful at times, but I'm trying my best not to fall back on TV to keep the kids enteratined when we travel and especially not on a 20 minute drive to a park or something.

Re: anyone buy your mini-van w/o DVD player-looking for pros and cons

We hadn't planned on buying with a DVD player, but got it for a very good deal. We do have a portable DVD player we had planned on using. As for using it all the time, the ONLY time my DDs watch the DVD is for trips over an hour and half. It's the parent's responsibility to decide how much time should be spent watching TV- just because it's there doesn't mean we use it.

What I like about the built in system is that it retracts into the ceiling so out of sight, out of mind. With the portable, they always stayed attached to the back of the seat so DD sometimes asks to "watch Elmo".

We would NOT have paid extra for a DVD system in our minivan.

Re: anyone buy your mini-van w/o DVD player-looking for pros and cons

I wouldn't pay extra to have it in the car. You could always get a portable one for the back of the seat for road trips. I think a good rule for using the built in dvd players is only if your going to be in the car for over an hour, basically just for road trips.

Re: anyone buy your mini-van w/o DVD player-looking for pros and cons

Posted by ddunne2

I purposely chose no DVD player since I see too many moms that drive around town letting their kids watch videos everytime they are in the car. Just not my style. I think TV is in too many places now and kids need to learn how to just sit quietly or bring a book. Its like those TV shopping carts at the grocery store...they drive me nuts. Why is a child no longer expected to just behave for 45 minutes while their mother shops. They shouldn't need TV as their babysitter 24/7. Sorry for the rant!

When we do travel long distances we don't necessarily bring a DVD player every time. We play car bingo, check out music from the library and count different things we see on the road. Sure, we've brought one in the past and it is helpful at times, but I'm trying my best not to fall back on TV to keep the kids enteratined when we travel and especially not on a 20 minute drive to a park or something.

Re: anyone buy your mini-van w/o DVD player-looking for pros and cons

We don't have the DVD player installed in the care. We bought a portable DVD player that we use for long trips and that's it.

Re: anyone buy your mini-van w/o DVD player-looking for pros and cons

Posted by JavaJunkie

Posted by ddunne2

I purposely chose no DVD player since I see too many moms that drive around town letting their kids watch videos everytime they are in the car. Just not my style. I think TV is in too many places now and kids need to learn how to just sit quietly or bring a book. Its like those TV shopping carts at the grocery store...they drive me nuts. Why is a child no longer expected to just behave for 45 minutes while their mother shops. They shouldn't need TV as their babysitter 24/7. Sorry for the rant!

When we do travel long distances we don't necessarily bring a DVD player every time. We play car bingo, check out music from the library and count different things we see on the road. Sure, we've brought one in the past and it is helpful at times, but I'm trying my best not to fall back on TV to keep the kids enteratined when we travel and especially not on a 20 minute drive to a park or something.

I agree, we do the same thing

Re: anyone buy your mini-van w/o DVD player-looking for pros and cons

we didn't want one in our minivan for many of the reasons stated above. The kids don't need to have a TV screen in front of them all the time. Plus, I don't need to hear them having a fit to watch it on a short drive, or any drive. We plan to get portable ones for longer trips when we'll be in the car for hours. If they are portable, we can then bring them in places with us too, or on a plane, etc.

Re: anyone buy your mini-van w/o DVD player-looking for pros and cons

Posted by ddunne2

I purposely chose no DVD player since I see too many moms that drive around town letting their kids watch videos everytime they are in the car. Just not my style. I think TV is in too many places now and kids need to learn how to just sit quietly or bring a book. Its like those TV shopping carts at the grocery store...they drive me nuts. Why is a child no longer expected to just behave for 45 minutes while their mother shops. They shouldn't need TV as their babysitter 24/7. Sorry for the rant!

When we do travel long distances we don't necessarily bring a DVD player every time. We play car bingo, check out music from the library and count different things we see on the road. Sure, we've brought one in the past and it is helpful at times, but I'm trying my best not to fall back on TV to keep the kids enteratined when we travel and especially not on a 20 minute drive to a park or something.

Re: anyone buy your mini-van w/o DVD player-looking for pros and cons

I'm on the opposite side. We do have one but I refuse to use it unless we are on a long drive. I let them watch it when we drove to the zoo the other day and that was a treat and the only reason was because I needed to make sure the new DVD they installed worked. DD wanted it on the next day and I said No. She knows it's not the norm.
I think it's easy to have one and not use it but I know it will be nice to have for long road trips.

Re: anyone buy your mini-van w/o DVD player-looking for pros and cons

ours came with the minivan, we didnt pay extra for it.

we love it... i dont think i could do without it.

it has nothing to do with letting him watch TV all the time, it has to do with having a sane autistic child in the car not screaming every 2 seconds.

Re: anyone buy your mini-van w/o DVD player-looking for pros and cons

I didn't want to get one in the car. The only time I brought a portable in the car was when we drove to Maine and PA. Other then that, even when we drive 1 1/2 hrs, I don't use one. There is no need to IMO. My kids love to look around or fall asleep in the car. Or just listen to their music.

Re: anyone buy your mini-van w/o DVD player-looking for pros and cons

Ours came with the higher model. We plan on driving to my parents house in Savannah Georgia so it will def. be helpful then.

Yesterday we went shopping with my mom and she went to order blinds. I popped in Toy Story and Jack didn't say a word.

We will not use it every day.

Re: anyone buy your mini-van w/o DVD player-looking for pros and cons

I have the DVD player thanks to DH in a sense, but as other's said... this van came with it anyway, but for now we don't use it. I feel that while traveling it's best the kids nap since I don't want them groggy upon reaching our destination. My little one is also still rear facing so she couldn't even see it, but may hear it and that woldn't be very fair (LOL). I don't think they are necessary. As they get older we may use it for really, really long trips, but othewise... I'd rather us just talk or play games.

Message edited 4/3/2010 8:34:49 PM.

Re: anyone buy your mini-van w/o DVD player-looking for pros and cons

Posted by ddunne2

I purposely chose no DVD player since I see too many moms that drive around town letting their kids watch videos everytime they are in the car. Just not my style. I think TV is in too many places now and kids need to learn how to just sit quietly or bring a book. Its like those TV shopping carts at the grocery store...they drive me nuts. Why is a child no longer expected to just behave for 45 minutes while their mother shops. They shouldn't need TV as their babysitter 24/7. Sorry for the rant!

When we do travel long distances we don't necessarily bring a DVD player every time. We play car bingo, check out music from the library and count different things we see on the road. Sure, we've brought one in the past and it is helpful at times, but I'm trying my best not to fall back on TV to keep the kids enteratined when we travel and especially not on a 20 minute drive to a park or something.