I think the portable dvd/vcrs/tv things are wonderful for long distance in the cars. I was reading on another board about somebody asking what sort of ideas/tricks work good for long car rides for kids. I was suprised to see a few people dont believe in these things for cars. The majority of people who posted said they were wonderful inventions.
We recently got a portable dvd player for the car, and it makes for pleasant car trips. Granted we havent gone on vacation with it. But, when we are out and about doing a million errands on the weekends, Faith starts to get fussy in the car. We pop in a Wiggles DVD , and she is happy as a clam.
Before we had Faith, my husband use to use a makeshift vcr/tv thing for long trips to Disney, and the kids were happy and quiet.
Yes, they always packed, books, small toys, coloring stuff etc.. but you cant beat the quiet of a movie in a car.
Im just wandering why so many people are against this for long car trips?

By Karen~moderator on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 09:30 am:

Can't comment, because those conveniences weren't available when my kids were young.

I used to play music and had a few *travel* games for the car, for long rides.

I gave Madison a portable DVD player for Christmas with some DVD's. She's very careful with electronics, etc., so I thought it would be a fun thing for her to have, since she and Jules spend SO much time in the car commuting to school/preschool/Jules' job and just to visit anyone from where they live is an hour or more.

By Sunny on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 09:36 am:

Did those posters on the other board say why they were against them?

We drove to Disney World this past summer (1000 miles each way) and we used the DVD player maybe half the time. It kept the kids occupied, especially during the more boring parts of the ride, but they also brought their own music to listen to, slept a portion of the time, played games, talked or enjoyed the scenery (yes, we still do that once in a while! LOL). We don't generally use it for short trips.

By Kaye on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 09:42 am:

I am one of those against them. I am against them because I just don't think kids should be watching that much TV. Yes it does make things easier, but there are other options. When we were kids we actually interacted with each other in the car, played games, sang songs, etc. So just like our activity at home has been cut down by tv, now car family time has been too.

Another reason for me is simply we took very long car trips, the mere idea of 16 hours of TV seemed unreal. I know in theory you just turn it off, but i have one kid who wouldn't handle that and we would hear nothing but, it is time to watch another movie.

Another issue, I have three kids, just where do you put that sucker so everyone can see, the ones mounted in the ceiling are awfully small.

Another issue those make shift tvs are unsafe, if you are in a wreck they will become a very heavy projectile. The only safe way is to have them secured to the car, most people don't.

All those arguments aside, my dd bought herself a portable dvd player for Christmas. She saved all her moneys (and then some). We have used it once and it wasn't as bad as I thought, but it did make me sad. I really love the whole let's sing together, lets look at landmarks, lets see the world together. I also limit gameboy time.

By Feona on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 10:00 am:

I am not against it or for it.

I don't have one. I sort of think ds should be able to entertain himself in the car when we drive. We have magnadoodle in the car. And I talk to him... or I try to talk to him. Also I think a tv in the car would drive me nuts. Also my husband can't concentrate with noise. So a tv in the car is a bad idea for us. But I guess there are head phones - I have no idea.

I only let ds watch tv when I am too tired to interact with him.

We don't drive long drives though. Maybe 1 1/2 hour four times a year. Usually I drive tops 30 minutes.

By Breann on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 10:15 am:

We have a dvd player in our van. I didn't want one, but we got it anyway. My kids watch enough tv at home, I don't feel like they need to watch it in the van too.

Long trips are different. It is nice to pop in a dvd and have them all quite for a couple of hours.

But, I think it's more important for them to see the things around them. Enjoy the scenery. Especially if we are traveling out of state. I really like them to be able to see all the sights. Not just stare at the tv the whole time.

I won't let my kids use it for short trips (under 1 hour).

By Truestori on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 10:17 am:

I'm all for it! We have a portable one like Jackie and we use it for our vacations up North. My children know the rules, and when its time to turn it off, it goes off without any problems. They are old enough to understand this concept. It keeps them entertained and truthfully, the parents control what they watch since its all movies, anyhow. My kids love the science channel and cooking shows so they would be happy watching those all day.

By Conni on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 10:22 am:

When I was a kid we would interact and pick on each other alright, and be in trouble and driving my parents crazy. ROFL!!

My truck has a flip down tv/dvd player in the roof. They make different size screens- depends on how much money you want to spend how big your screen is... Ours is average size 7.5 inch screen I think? Might be 10 inch. I Cant remember. PLENTY big for a vehicle. I like this because I dont have to worry as much about it being a projectile in an accident. The other one we had (that got stolen) was nice because we could take it in whatever vehicle we were going in. We have taken my laptop before and dh watched movies on it w/ headphones, while the kids watched their movies, etc... We dont fly often as we cant afford it - we have to drive. So anything we can take too make the drive go by faster is well worth it too me. We dont just watch movies the whole trip tho. I think that is where people get confused and think its a bad thing... We take a variety of things to occupy our time on the drive. (books, MP3 players, CD players, CD's we like to hear as a family, Brainbuster Trivia cards (we all love to do this as a family when traveling, my 5 yo is getting QUITE competitive), activity books (word search, crossword, coloring books, math workbooks), Gameboys and we ALWAYS have a deck of playing cards. We love to play card games together. So we dont just jump in the car with 12 hrs worth of movies and not talk to each other until we get to our destination. Thats ridiculous that people think that's what happens... And most people I know that have the portable ones always have them strapped down. Its much easier too see the screen if you have it strapped on the back of seats. 3 kids cant see it when it is in ONE kids lap... We have wireless headphones that they use or we can also all listen to the movie together thru our speakers... So thats nice!


I took ds to Tulsa last weekend and he never watched the tv, he played his handheld Leapster and asked me questions about his game the entire 2 hour drive. That probably wasnt good for him. lol But dh had bought him a new game that day and he was engrossed in it. (Thomas the Tank Engine) Any games that are helping him with reading, spelling, math I am not going to tell him to shut off. Mostly because he is the child that asks everyday why he HAS to go school and learn. lol

Anyway, of course its a personal choice!!! Like anything else. You have to do what you feel is right and not worry about who is against it. We are also a family that has a TV in every room. And you know how many people are against that... lol You'd be surprised how little my kids watch their own TV's. Its perfect tho when they have a friend over and want to play games or watch their own movie. That's when they get the most use out of having a tv in their own room. Blake RARELY watches his. I wish he would somedays. Dh and I crawl in bed flip the weather on and watch it together and then flip it off and talk/sleep... He also has a tv on his computer. So he can work from home and catch the news or whatever while he is stuck in his cave working... And he doesnt have to clutter up his office with a seperate tv...

By Alberobello on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 10:24 am:

I am against them for the same reasons as Kaye, can't write at the moment, but all i can say i that i don't think our children need another screen in their lives, they have way too many...

Also for the same reasons Ginny gave in the Indigo Children post in the Kitchen Table. Children haven't got nay opportunities to use their imagination any more.

By Debbie on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 11:07 am:

We have one and I love it. We do not use it when we are just driving around town. However, it is great for a long trip. We just took an 18 hour trip to Texas. My dks didn't watch it the entire time. They had other things to do. But, it sure was nice towards the end of the day, when they were getting restless, to pop in a movie. We definitely still interact, they have games and coloring books, etc. But, when you are in a car 9 hours a day for 2 days, it is nice to have it too.

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 11:16 am:

My sisters and I managed in the car, when we went out to Washington DC, in 1978. We drove long hours. I loved looking at the scenery and I'm sure we brought stuff to do. I know my sisters slept some of the time, but I wanted to see the scenery.

We drove to and from Niagara Falls, with a 16yo and a 13yo. I know they brought books and Emily brought drawing stuff, along with her Gameboy. They also spent time looking at scenery and Sarah was constantly snapping pictures, from the car.

So, I guess we really don't need a dvd player in the car. We did spend time listening to music. Now that we have the ipod, it's a lot easier to bring LOTS of different music along in the car!

By Boxzgrl on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 11:22 am:

I'm not for or against them. I'd like one though i'm not sure how often it would actually get used. I've never used the TV as a "babysitter" for my DD and even now she is only allowed 30 minutes a day of tv. I, myself, only watch 1 hour of tv a day unless I just have the news on in the background. I know other kids who watch more tv and are still very active and imaginative. It just depends on the child and the circumstance. Kaitlyn still doesn't have much of a interest in the tv so I guess i'll encounter more problems as she's older. But for some parents I could see how it could be a lifesaver for the children that like to fight and argue in the car, therefore taking the drivers concentration off the road. I guess it has it's pro's and con's. They can be both good and bad but that's with anything.

By Imamommyx4 on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 11:28 am:

We have a portable dvd player that is secured to a seat. We only use it for long trips and don't use it the whole time by any means. DD watches out the window, draws, plays with toys (we keep a small bag of toys in the van), sing with the Silly Song cd. But it is something to pass the time.

I would have loved having one when I was a kid. My brother and I interacted. But it was usually him holding his finger an inch from my face and me screaming "stop touching me" and him laughing "I'm not touching you".

My boys who are grown now are jealous that their little sis has this convenience though. But they just weren't available when they were little. I wish they had been. Might have saved me a few gray hairs.

By Luvn29 on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 11:33 am:

We don't have one, but we would LOVE to. And will eventually. We rented a van one year to travel to OH for Christmas with my parents, and it had a DVD player in it. It was great. However, the kids didn't choose to watch a movie the entire time. Most of the time it was off and they were doing other things. They love playing car games, looking for the alphabet on signs, we'll name a color, and they have to be the first to spot a vehicle with that color.

And like Conni, we have televisions in several rooms of the house. We don't limit tv time. Actually I have mine in the living room on constantly for the company. Don't usually watch it, but it's always on. This comes from being home alone nights for several years and I needed the noise of voices to keep me from having panic attacks. I'm over that now, but still have the habit.

My kids have a television/dvd/and game cube in their room. However, they probably watch it a total of one hour a day. Maybe a little more on weekends, but not much. Sometimes I am begging them to go watch cartoons!

I think the whole thing with them is that it is such a non-issue. It always has been. Since it isn't limited, it is no big deal to them. They could care less about watching it or playing their Game Cube. They would rather play store, or office, or vet, or house, or dr., or school....you get my point. They are always using their imaginations and playing together. We also have lots of games and do quality things like that together. They'd much rather that. Last night, dd and I made candles with her new candle maker, and dh and ds put together a Dale Jr. (nascar) lego car he had gotten for Christmas. Then all four of us played a couple games of Jenga.

The kids have Video Nows that they take with them on trips, but they use them very little. I think the same thing would happen with a DVD player. They would watch a movie or two the entire trip, and that would be it.

I guess I have never understood the big deal about too much television. Maybe I would if I had a kid that wanted to sit in front of it constantly. I guess it is like my kids and soda or candy. It's always there, so the thrill of it is worn off, and they'd rather have something else.

By Trina~moderator on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 11:41 am:

Portable DVD players do pose a dangerous projectile risk during a crash. For this reason they should be firmly secured. That said, our van has a DVD player on the ceiling. We only use it on long trips (not the whole way!), and I choose the DVDs. It is a GOD SEND, especially when the kids get antsy! You can only play "I Spy" and sing songs for so long. Let's be realistic. A family enclosed inside a vehicle for multiple hours is a formula for high stress. LOL! Personally, I think it's MUCH safer and more pleasant to travel with quiet, amused kids, as opposed to driving with frazzled nerves. In moderation, it's a useful tool.

By Yjja123 on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 11:44 am:

When hubby bought his truck he got the fold up version as part of the package. I thought it was ridiculous-----then we took a road trip. I love it. I am the one sitting in back watching it. Last trip to Orlando (holiday time) we watched Christmas movies. It was great. The best part is I am a very nervous rider. I drive hubby nuts being a back seat driver. By sitting in back, I am able to relax a little and let him do the driving without watching every move.

By Jackie on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 12:01 pm:

All I can say is, that if we go on another long vacation in the car, it will be a blessing to have it along. We have a dual screen one, I wanted that one expecially. One screen goes behind the front passenger seat(So its in front of Faith), the one one goes on the back of the drivers seat, which is in front of my 11 yr old son. My 6 yr old daughter sits in the back of the van and can see the screen that is directly in front of her brother. It works out well.
I think its a great invention LOL...

By Luvn29 on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 12:23 pm:

I hope to have one before our next trip to Myrtle Beach in June. We go on long trips at least once a year, sometimes more. And with my health flaring up again, we'll be making five hour trips to Charlottesville more often. My kids will go along when possible. I try to schedule so they can go. My parents watch them with no problem, but it is stressful enough for me and the kids, having to go to the neurologist, and it is more stressful having to separate. I also have lots of family in OH that we visit.

So we can't wait to get one since we travel a lot.

By Marcia on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 12:32 pm:

I think it's the greatest invention!! We drive from Ontario to Florida every March, and I don't care if it's on the whole time. The reality is, no kids play and interact beautifully for that many hours cooped up in a small place. It makes for a sane drive for all of us.
We don't use if anywhere else, other than when we're on long trips. In fact, it's a console tv that we have, and we just take it out after our trip.

By Mommmie on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 12:38 pm:

I'm against them. We drive all over the place, 1000s of miles, and my son, now 11, has his Gameboys to play with if he needs something electronic. Usually we talk. No radio. Just talk. We talk about what we see or other things. Or we just sit and think. Sometimes we listen to talk radio. Neither one of us is crazy about music, but we will listen to Radio Disney if we can pick it up. Prior to age 5, he had little toys to play with.

I would much rather he do something interactive like a Gameboy, than something passive like movies. He's not a movie person anyway so it's not like he feels deprived. In the last year, I'd say he's seen maybe 5 or 6 movies total in the entire year, including a documentary my brother created that was shown at a film festival. Except for that documentary, none of the other movies were seen when he was at home. The others were either in school or in someone else's car. We haven't seen anything in the theatre in over a year nor have we rented any. He has a couple of movies that were given to him as gifts over the last 2 or 3 years and he hasn't even opened them.

He has friends that watch 1 or 2 movies a day! I just don't agree with that. I think that's an example of using the TV as a babysitter. I am just one of those people who would rather my son play video games for 10 hours straight instead of watching 1 movie. He prefers that, too, and considers movies boring. So, no, we won't have a DVD in the car.

By Hlgmom on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 12:49 pm:

I am with Kaye! No need to repeat it!

By Tink on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 12:59 pm:

I'm against them. I just find that too many parents expect a tv to babysit their kids, even when they are available and could be interacting with the kids. We've made several long roadtrips and I don't think it's ever gotten so difficult to keep them entertained that I've wished we had one. I think they look convenient and fun but our roadtrips are for vacation, vacations are for family time and family time isn't about watching a movie. We sing, talk, play games, nap, and read in the car.

Of course, we do strictly limit the time our kids spend watching tv at home and only have one tv in the house. I'm just not a huge fan of kids being plunked in front of a screen, instead of using their minds. I know it works out better for other families but this is what we've decided and why we've made that decision.

By Reds9298 on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 02:31 pm:

I haven't read all of the posts, but I feel the same as Kaye. There's WAY too much creative fun to be had on long car trips and TV in a car is just a mindnumbing babysitter.

By Kaye on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 02:32 pm:

Let me just add. We are a TV family, one in everyroom (minus kids rooms). I don't monitor as I should, for me it I watch or I don't, somedays a lot somedays the tv hasn't made it on. But my kids don't limit themselves well. If I let my youngest he would watch TV all day, anything that is on, constant. So there are times that I notice he hasn't moved and make him go outside, etc. I think my point is, It really depends on the personality of your kids. TV by all means is not a precious commodity, but my kids still crave it. So my dd bought hers, we did use it for a 3 1/2 car trip on the way home after Christmas (santa toys waiting in side, btw). They watched two movies back to back and when we got home the last one wasn't finished (they had already seen it before) and I literally had to drag my youngest out of the car to go open gifts. An addiction is an addiction and so we have to monitor it.

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 02:38 pm:

We love finding the alphabet on road signs and my kids are teenagers! It's easy in Milwaukee, where there are so many signs, but even out in the rural sections, you eventually find the whole alphabet.

By Crystal915 on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 02:46 pm:

The portable DVD saved our sanity on our trip to Texas. Our kids are too young to play many car games, so it helps keep them entertained. Screaming, fighting children is distracting to the driver, and makes everyone miserable.

By Amecmom on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 08:09 pm:

Our Quest came with one. They are the best thing! We only use it for very long drives and usually toward the end of the trip when the kids are jumping out ot their skins.

As far as watching a video being equated with children not using their minds I have to respectfully disagree. My children - yes even my 16 month old - have learned a great deal from watching videos. I think children can be actively engaged and learning from an audio-visual source. After all my 16 month old loves "Here Come the ABCs" and can recite the alphabet to j.
My son loves "Dora", "Diego" "Stanley" and "Little Einsteins" He can tell you all about animals and I am constantly amazed at what he knows. Like anything else, you get out what you put in. If you put in good stuff, then good stuff will follow.

For those who don't like them - my advice is, don't buy one - That'll leave more for the mommies who don't mind using this amazing modern convenience .
Ame

By Pamt on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 09:43 pm:

I'm another against them. Until 3 years ago, we had always lived at least 8-12 hours from one set of our parents. My kids started taking long car trips (and we usually do the 12 hours in one day) when they were just a couple of months old. They got used to it early and it has never been an issue, except for that tough period from 1-2 years old. My boys always pack a backpack for the car as do DH and I. We all put books, the boys have Gameboys, I take quilting or crocheting, and we check out audiobooks from the library. We talk, sing, listen to books and talk about them, play the alphabet and license plate game, play car bingo, learn about the places we are driving by, etc. Of course my children aren't perfect angels. We get the "he's touching me, he's on my side, he's looking at me" comments---but we get those sometimes at home too. If it gets too much or there is really bad behavior then they would be disciplined, but they stay busy enough that they are pretty good most of the time. We try to take breaks and play Frisbee or something at rest stops to work off some energy. I do have a bias in that until recently we only had one TV in the house. We now have small one in the study, but no one has a TV in their bedroom (including DH and I) and never will. I think long car trips are for family bonding and in short car trips it is just totally unnecessary altogether. I have great memories of long car trips with my siblings--3 of us in the back seat and we fought alot!

By Marcia on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 11:53 pm:

Pam, I look at the vacation at the end of the long car trip as the family bonding time. The car ride is a time to just survive, and the tv makes it tolerable.

By Crystal915 on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 - 12:05 am:

Pam, how is a Gameboy any different than a DVD player? I'm not saying it should be on ALL the time, but it can be a very helpful tool, and isn't much different than games, a cd player, or MP3 player. We also only had one TV until recently, now the kids have a TV/DVD player in their playroom, but we don't keep one in the bedrooms.

By Insaneusmcwife on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 - 06:50 am:

I'm all for the gameboy, dvd player, leapfrog video games, cd player anything and everything to keep them happy during long road trips. Because when the kids are happy the driver is happy and there is less chance for an accident. I could not imagine driving across country last summer without all those items. We even stopped along the way and bought ds a gameboy game, dd a new leap frog game and a couple new dvds. When we got to Arkansas we stopped in and bought a new dvd player because some how ours broke on the way. I'm insane enough already, I don't need ANY help from the kids.

By Conni on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 - 07:36 am:

Ahhh, you should have stopped by my house for the night and for dinner when you got to Arkansas Kristie!!!

By Janet on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 - 09:34 am:

My dh loves to tell me about the family vacation they took when he was young, from Illinois to California, five kids in a station wagon (no seatbelts, of course) and a box of crayons to occupy them. I'm not sure I believe it, but it's possible. We just recently bought a portable DVD player, and it's been really nice, since we travel 12 hours to see my family several times per year. Having said that, I did notice that when we went to Disney last summer, the girls hardly looked up from their movies. Dh and I kept saying things like, "Look at those mountains! Look at that sunset!" And they'd look up, say something like, "Oh, yeah.." and then go back to the movie. We ended up turning the thing off several times. So, pros and cons. Secretly? I miss the days of travelling without it. I think kids are missing out.

By Marcia on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 - 09:54 am:

Janet, we used to drive from Ontario to Florida with my parents and 5 of us - station wagon with no seatbelts. I can remember the fun of sleeping on the hump on the floor, rolling around the back as we went through the mountains, etc. Sure was fun, but so completely unsafe. Now we expect our kids to sit up straight, feet on the floor, and stay that way the whole time. I have a hard time doing that myself, and I'm the driver!!

By Sunny on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 - 10:36 am:

I don't see much of a difference between handheld video games and television. Actually, my kids are more likely to become so engrossed in their video game that they ignore everything (and everyone). When they watch TV, they talk more! LOL They talk about what their watching, ask questions if they don't understand, or repeat a funny line and have fits of laughter.
I guess it does come down to preferences. For us, having 5 kids of varying ages, we prefer having various activities and a DVD player is one of them.

By Debbie on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 - 10:42 am:

I agree, what is the difference between hand held games and a DVD player? I think they are pretty much the same thing. And, by the way, we have both when we travel. I think it is all about moderation. Also, it has a lot to do with each individual dks. My oldest ds can sit in the car all day and he is fine. My youngest is really active and it is hard for him to sit all day. So, if a DVD player or his gameboy helps, then I am all for it. Believe me, we spend plenty of quality time together as a family. A little TV during our trip isn't going to hurt my dks.

By Janet on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 - 10:56 am:

Marcia, remember laying up on the back dash behind the back seats? That was also a great place to play with your toys! It's true, it's hard to sit, buckled up, feet on the floor for a long trip--there have been so many times I wish my kids could just lay down and sleep on the seat, or hang out in the back with their toys (but I don't let them, so call off the bad mom police!)... It's a wonder we all lived to adulthood.

By Marcia on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 - 11:17 am:

LOL yes, I remember playing back there beside the bobble head dog. LOL

By Dawnk777 on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 - 11:30 am:

We never had a station wagon, but I remember being in other people's cars and just being loose in the back! LOL!

By Kym on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 - 11:36 am:

We dont' have a one, and yes I am against them, I can really see the benefit of them, but like many of the above, my kids don't need to be watching something to be entertained. They are wonderful at playing together (with fights and tattling of course), and in the care they read, write stories, color, sing songs etc. If we are on a long road trip, there are so many things to watch and learn about along the way, that I think it's important to have them paying attention to those things.
I have to add, that we only have one TV in the house that allows us about 10 channels, because we have cable internet, so my kids don't watch TV anyway that much, the baby watches Elmo and the other kids may watch 1 hour a week.