DVD in the car

[bellebud]

we lease, and all my suv's have come w/ them. We used to use them for trips, but all of a sudden a few years ago, ds9 started getting sick (throwing up, needing to sleep) everytime we got to our destination. We finally figured out he was getting car sick watching movies in the car. So we don't even use it anymore.

 

[MzDiz]

Oh please
Long car rides are pretty much the only time my kids watch movies/TV...they just don't like TV all that much.

You can keep your "oh please" to yourself. I don't know your kids or what they watch, nor do I care to. I was speaking lightheartedly to the OP's question about whether it's a necessity in minivans. Nice.

 

[LuvLDM]

You can keep your "oh please" to yourself. I don't know your kids or what they watch, nor do I care to. I was speaking lightheartedly to the OP's question about whether it's a necessity in minivans. Nice.

Whatever....your idea of "lighthearted" sounded pretty darn obnoxious.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

We were personally thrilled when the new-to-us minivan that we found had it pre-installed. We set limits on it - they only watch DVDs on long trips and don't watch them 100% of the time. I get queasy if I read in the car, and my oldest tends to get headaches if he reads in the car, so I don't advocate reading. My kids are chatterboxes and talk constantly on a daily basis and on a long trip, it's worse! After an hour, we are glad to put in a DVD! (We jokingly talk about inventing a plexiglass window to go behind the front seats.)

 

[formill]

Our van has the built in DVD player and we love it- came with the wireless headphones and then you can select for the rest of non watchers to still listen to stereo while kids watch movie. I don't think I would make sure to have one installed in our van as we have 4 kids and while maybe 2 will watch the built in one- the other 2 will bring their laptops or portable DVD players and watch on that. The portable ones are then nice to take in the hotel room since rarely do kids want to watch what we do. The portable ones also play dvds from anywhere- our pre-installed van one will only play store bought dvds- won't play ones made on the computer at all. I have a tv tuner in computer and can record any shows then burn to dvds but then found can't play them in van.

 

[aprilgail2]

Because kids don't watch enough TV as it is... Here's an idea, kids, it's called a book!

Does your kid want to read the whole time on a 24 hours car ride?? I know mine certainly does NOT. We go visit relatives, on vacations etc all with long car rides, I sure wouldn't expect my daughter to read or just sit there the whole trip- watching a movie is a great way to pass some time!

 

[aprilgail2]

Whatever....your idea of "lighthearted" sounded pretty darn obnoxious.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

I love ours. It came installed, but like another poster, it was the only way to get the van I wanted. Not only has it been useful on our long trips, but it is great when you are sitting at a raining soccer field with 4 kids and you need to entertain the 2 year old in the car instead of sitting outside getting drenched.

 

[Kellydelly]

I don't think it is necessary when there are less expensive portable dvd players that you can use (we have one that we only use for road trips).

 

[scjo68]

Because kids don't watch enough TV as it is... Here's an idea, kids, it's called a book!

My DD13 gets carsick when she reads in the car. It is a shame because she loves to read, and would love to spend the time we are in the car reading. I love to read in the car when DH is driving on long trips and would be sad not to be able to do so. So I do feel for her.

Our kids always used the laptop to run their movies in the car. Then, last spring we flipped our car three times in a freak accident on the interstate. DD18 was struck on the side of the head when the laptop went sailing. She had a contusion on her head that went from her rt eye to back behind her ear--she looked horrible but thankfully, it didn't fracture her skull. Still, she had a bad concussion.


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THis is a very good point that people, including myself, tend not to think about. We have a portable DVD player, but it is in a case that straps to the back of the front seat so it's secure, but comes out of the car when the 12 hour car ride is over.

 

[tiggger1]

I love ours. It came installed, but like another poster, it was the only way to get the van I wanted. Not only has it been useful on our long trips, but it is great when you are sitting at a raining soccer field with 4 kids and you need to entertain the 2 year old in the car instead of sitting outside getting drenched.

we love ours too! I just got a van a few weeks ago and it has a dvd player. I enjoy the piece and quiet! No more screaming, no more are we there yet...they dont watch it everytime we are in the car but I will put it on when we go to pick up my dd7 at school, so my ds4 can watch something while he is waiting for her. or if we are going to be in the car for more than 20 minutes, if they want it.

 

[klmall]

We're well past the point of needing a DVD player in our car since our kid is grown but as someone said earlier I am amazed at the number of kids I see on my 30 minute drive to work every morning watching DVDs. Yes, they might be riding to daycare and grumpy etc. but I really hate to see kids watching cartoons or movies at 6:30 AM or 7:00 AM.

Another thing I noticed was how potentially distracting the screens can be to drivers in other cars. Just last week I was sitting in six lanes of traffic waiting at a light in the DC metro suburbs behind a minivan with the DVD screen hanging down from the ceiling. I could see Toy Story 2 from my car two cars back. People were still doing the typical switching lanes at the last minute, coasting forward and backward, giving money to the panhandlers, applying makeup and some I'm sure were watching Toy Story and not what was happening around them as the light changed in the three turn lanes etc.

We already have distracted drivers who can't concentrate on the road. We don't need any more excuses for parents not to talk with their kids and for young adults not knowing how to communicate with others. (Don't get me started on communication skills; I've been interviewing 20 somethings for 9 months and I'm burnt out!) Sorry, I'll get down off my soapbox now!

 

[Conservative Hippie]

LOL It's ok!

IF we had one I had already decided that we would only use it for trips longer than 90 minutes (we drive about 45 minutes to church several times a week, and I wouldn't let the kids use it for that!). I drove my friend's kids to school a few times in their van after she had her baby, and I was pretty surprised that they put on a video just to go 15 minutes to school!

BUT, I decided I would not hold out for a minivan that had a preinstalled DVD, and I will not get one installed, either. The laptop works well for us for movies, we'll just keep doing that for now.

 

[aprilgail2]

Another thing I noticed was how potentially distracting the screens can be to drivers in other cars. Just last week I was sitting in six lanes of traffic waiting at a light in the DC metro suburbs behind a minivan with the DVD screen hanging down from the ceiling. I could see Toy Story 2 from my car two cars back. :

Well tell you what I would sure reather see toy story 2 in front of me that what we were seeing one time on the parkway!!!! It was an SUV and the guys (adults) were watching a porno movie!!! We went around them and passed as soon as we could!!!!!

 

[VAfamily1998]

For those who are so against kids watching tv in the car on long trips, I was curious...Do you feel the same way about the tv screens/movies on airplanes?

Last week on a 14 hr flight from Shanghai, I sure was greatful for the individual tv/entertainment system at my seat! I had brought a book, but for some reason my reading light was twisted wierd and instead of illuminating my seat, it was shining on the arm rest between my neighbor and I. I was not recieving enoug light to read by, and also the extra light would have disturbed my neighbor's sleep if I kept it on.

 

[golfgal]

We had portable DVD players and every time we went on a long trip I was wishing we had a built in one because it was just one more thing to get ready for the trip. The one's we have were nice because they had two screens and they could have different things on the screens (one could watch a movie while the other played a video game). We used them on our long trips (and a long trip for us is over 3 hours). Those trips were generally 8+ hours. The portable ones are nice but a pain. Also, if we stopped overnight at a hotel, I wasn't comfortable leaving them in the car, so I had to take them down and then reinstall them the next day.

As a child that went on a lot of LONG car rides, sure playing games in the car was fun when we were kids but we were not strapped into a car seat or even a seatbelt. We had the "wayback" of the station wagon with blankets, etc. and we could move around the car.

 

[DVC-Don]

We got one in my wifes last car back in 2004 (Cadillac SRX) and it was hardly used at all. The few times were on long road trips which are pretty rare for us.

 

[mdsoccermom]

Is it a must have for anyone? Of course not. Does my family want one in the car? Yes. I make no apologies for that nor am I going to try to make myself better for having it by saying my kids neverwatch tv except in the car, only watch educational videos, etc. We do several road trips a year and find the DVD player a good addition to any other activities the kids might do.

An entertainment system is something that is on our personal must-haves when we buy a car. In the 10 years we've had cars with them, we've never had to take one in to have the system repaired.

 

[kacaju]

We went to the Grand Canyon a few years ago. My girls were 1st grade, 5th grade and
7th grade. We ever had a DVD in our car before. Since I knew we would be driving a lot this trip we picked out a minivan rental that had one. We bought some movies and were on our way. What a waste...my kids never really bothered with it.

I say....you know your kids, if you think they will use it great...if not...don't bother. After that trip I know it is not a good option for this family.

 

[marcyinPA]

We have two portable ones that can be attached to the seats of the van, they can be used separately or hooked together for both kids to watch the same movie. They only go in the van if the trip is over 3 hours.

Same here. Bought hours a few years ago on Black Friday for under $100. They were a big hit for our first few trips, but now the kids don't even ask. They are more into their iPods.