Living Dangerously

For the most part, having kids makes you act more responsibly. My driving habits certainly improved when I began driving with “precious cargo” as my Mom referred to the kids in the back seat. I suppose I used to weave through traffic a little more, and drive with a heavier foot.

Another reason for the more careful driving is that driving a minivan, among other things, makes it a little harder to do those things. And I also find that the car, equipped with dual DVD screens, is one of my few opportunities to relax. Maybe not relax since I have to listen to the same shows over and over. But at least I can sit in one place and tune out the noise. So maybe I drive slower because I’m not in any particular rush to get where we’re going.

But, surprisingly, there are some riskier behaviors I have developed because of kids.

As an example, I used to shut the car off when pumping gas. After all, the sign at the gas station says to shut off the engine or a big explosion could occur. Why don’t I do it anymore?

It goes back to the previously mentioned DVD player. When the car is turned off, the player also turns off, and we need to start back at the beginning of the DVD, and wait the 60 seconds to get through all the previews and the FBI warning (why can’t they have special fast play DVD’s for kids movies?). That’s more than enough to set Thing 3 off on a crying fit that will last way more than 60 seconds and possibly set him on a fussy course all day.

So I leave the engine on when I pump gas and breathe a big sigh of relief when it’s over.

I’ve also been known to take my eyes off the road for a second, or two, or ten seconds, to pick up a dropped toy. Or to take away a toy that’s causing a fight. Or to turn around after hearing “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy” just to get Thing 2 to stop saying my name like I wrote about last year.

I know there are more of you out there. What risky behaviors do your kids make you do?