Some of the best conversations I have ever had with my Dad happened while we were on a road trip. This was long before the days of iPods or portable DVD players or, horrors, books-on-tape. Since I am one of those people who hurl if I try to read in a moving car, the options were staring out the windows or talking with my Dad. You may have had the same experience.
"Working Dad" Paul Nyhan knows how important those car trips can be. His essay is chock full of all sorts of goodness about how it's good to unplug from all of the other devices that distract us from each other. About how it's nice for kids to have nothing to do every now and again. About how a few simple games can make the time fly.
On the surface, I agree with him, especially since I know how much I value that time in the car with my Dad. But as a parent, I'm not sure I'm ready to unplug my kids the next time we drive to Grandma's. Is that wrong? Am I cheating them out of some cherished memories by not wanting to endure four hours of "Are we there yet?"
