We’re A Different Type of Family

We’re a different type of family.

For one, we’re a two-car family.

Not that it is unusual for a family to have two cars.  What is unusual about our two-car family is how we use them.

Everywhere we go, we take two cars.  (Even on a vacation that was over five hours away – we took two cars).

And it isn’t because we are a family of five.  We all COULD fit in one car; we just take two wherever we go.

This wasn’t always the case.

When we became a family of five, we all drove to events together.  Taking baby Declan and two toddlers to events was as much of a handful as you can imagine taking any three children of that age to.  But we managed.

Then, over time, we noticed the challenges were different.  That Declan was finding his surroundings challenging.  And had no safety awareness.

We were perplexed.

How do you ask a host to put all their glass away and serve with plastic?  Pretty, shiny glass to Declan that is oh so breakable.

I became that mom that ran into a room picking up everyone’s glass and putting it as high as I could.  The mom that kept handing people their glass back to them every time they tried to put it down.

Or, how do you ask someone to speak quieter?  To turn the volume down.

Or to keep the other children away from him?  Declan didn’t see them – only their bright, shiny accessories or eyes and he wanted to touch.  Hard.

And I can honestly tell you there is little that is more awkward than episodes of smearing at someone else’s house.

My husband and I found that it took two of us to hover over Declan to keep him and those around him safe.  Which left little time for either of us to interact with those around us.  And who knows what mess the other two kids were getting themselves into.

So, IF an outing seemed possible for all five of us to attend, we began going in two cars.  Declan and I would go in one and stay until he was done.  Then I would leave with him and my husband would stay with our other two.

We became a two-car family.  Just like that.

Now, even though Declan can handle a lot more than he could when he was younger, we still take two cars.  There are some events he needs to leave from early.

I thought about this yesterday at the movies.

Declan was excited all week to go see his beloved Spiderman on the big screen.  But when the big time came, going to the movies was the last thing Declan wanted to do.  And lasted only an hour before he and I were in the car waiting for the others to finish the movie.

We did take two cars to the theater.  Unfortunately, the other car was that of a friend of ours who joined us.  And even though half of the family went with him to the theater, he was leaving from the theater solo, headed to his home.

I didn’t mind waiting.  I didn’t mind missing the movie.  Declan was content.  And spending time with content Declan is WAY better than spending time with discontent Declan.

And that is just how it is.  Splitting up the family to go out works for us.  The big kids don’t miss out.  My socially awkward, home body self doesn’t mind AT ALL sitting at home with Declan.  He’s content.

Content Declan doesn’t go to every event.  Content Declan may go and spend some time at an event but leaves a little early.  That is all good.

We found a way that works for us.

Because we are not your typical family.

We’re a two-car family.

(Photo from Pixabay)