Whoever said that car rides with kids are bonding time was seriously out of his mind. Are you kidding me?
If you have more than one child in the car, your conversations are more likely to consist of mediating arguments than sharing a heart to heart chat. If you know what I mean, you’ll seriously dread car rides, however short they may be. You won’t be in a mood for anything other than probably lying down on a therapist’s couch and yelling, “Where did we go wrong?” or more realistically, take a nap, to erase those nagging remarks from your head. Because after you’ve heard yourself repeat almost 110 times, “stop bothering each other”, “will you stop irritating each other” or the classic “I am going to pull over if you don’t stop it right now” all the while watching your hubby at the wheel trying hard to concentrate in rush hour traffic, all you are left with is only that much.
This is the typical conversation during car rides…
DD : Can you change the song that’s playing? I hate it.
DS : No mom don’t, because I love it.
DD : Why can’t I ever get to listen what I want?
DS : No, you won’t get it.
DD : Yes, I will.
ME : Quiet…will you both stop that. No music for both of you.
DD : But mommm…that’s not fair…that’s just not fair. You always do this.
*Silence* for about 6 seconds…
DD : Don’t touch me.
DS : I am not touching you.
DD : Yes, you are.
DS : No, I am not.
DD : Mommm… look, he is bothering me.
ME : Don’t bother your sister.
DS : But I didn’t do anything, mom.
DD : Yes, you did.
DS : No, I didn’t.
ME OR HUBBY : If you both don’t stop that right now, I am pulling over. I am not kidding.
*Silence* for 8 seconds….
DD : Turn off the air-conditioner, I am cold.
DS : Don’t, mom, I am feeling hot.
DD : Can’t you see, I am shivering!
DS : I don’t care, I want the AC.
*We crank up the FM radio volume to drown their voices*-
Meanwhile in the background….
“How can you be so insensitive…”
“You never listen to us!” (now there’s an improvement, “me” becomes “us” miraculously)
“Are we there yet? When will we get there? How much more longer?”
Uugghh…
More often than not, we arrive at our destination with our blood pressure sky-rocketing through the roof, all the while regretting whatever made us take that trip.
And thus our bonding time ends with a lecture followed by punishment. (No TV for a week, no computer games for a month and so on…)
Feeling guilty about not being able to steer car rides to a heart to heart session? Anyone?
Me? Not one bit. Or maybe a little…
Guilt, thy name is motherhood…
