Baby on the way? Need a bigger car? Pah!!
Discussion
Have had several friends go from pretty decent sized cars to hulking great 4x4s or estates etc as soon as the tiny feet began to patter.
What's changed?
Me and my Brother and all the gear we ever needed were carried around in one of these for years and never once had a problem!
One of my friends rushed out and purchased an MPV when his first child arrived and another got an Audi A6 estate!
Do people need to fill them with all the toys from the garden these days or something?
What's changed?
Me and my Brother and all the gear we ever needed were carried around in one of these for years and never once had a problem!
One of my friends rushed out and purchased an MPV when his first child arrived and another got an Audi A6 estate!
Do people need to fill them with all the toys from the garden these days or something?
stongle said:
Yes, but there was no such thing as a bugaboo donkey in the 60/70s.
No, but there were prams the same size as the car with bike sized wheels which didn't fold up at all My folks just used small, folding, pushchairs apparently. You can still get those today, too. She would ask "Why do you need a bugaboo?"
h0b0 said:
These threads are a little irritating. They are suggesting that the parents of the 1960's wouldn't swap their Gilman imp for a 2017 FFRR. They would. In fact they would swap for a 1970 FFRR. Why didn't they then? Because cars have become more affordable due to finance?
It's like saying "what changed? I grew up in a 2 up, 2 down and was fine. Why do people want a 5 bedroom house?"
There were many larger cars available to my parents and they did buy larger and larger houses, but they only had an interest in nicer houses due to them being in nicer areas; It was never about required space.It's like saying "what changed? I grew up in a 2 up, 2 down and was fine. Why do people want a 5 bedroom house?"
They never once purchased a bigger car due to me and my Brother, either. I think four doors was only a suggestion because my 'sensible' Dad liked the idea it would be easier to get out of if ever we rolled over! We ended up with an Allegro due to that train of thought
I remember it costing the same as the much larger Rover it was sat beside.
My Mum said she never remembers anyone in our street upgrading a car due to children. It never really crossed their minds.
Maybe it's more to do with Supermarkets and 'monthly' shops these days?
SteveSteveson said:
People spent a lot less time in their cars and than they do now. More people have to drive to get to go shopping or see parants than did in the 60s. Therefore they want a car that is easy to fit all the stuff in, their child and shopping etc, and do it in comfort rather than cramming everything in and suffering it once or twice a year for a holiday.
I agree completely, but why would you consider something like a Qashqai to be too small for two people and a baby?My friend said the same about his Zafira.
mike9009 said:
When my sisters arrived we 'upgraded' to an allegro estate,
Sitting in an Allegro today is similar to going back to your Jr school and looking at the desks and chairs and height of the coat hooks etc; you suddenly realise just how tiny things were! 
Edited by Digby on Saturday 21st January 21:54
Sheepshanks said:
Fine for older kids. Child cruelty for babies.
Daughter has a Honda Jazz, a toddler and new baby. She couldn't fit the stuff she needed for an overnight stay into her car. Its magic seats are useless when the back of the car is filled with two huge child-seats.
I'm not taking the pee, but what actually needs to go in to that space for an overnight stay?Daughter has a Honda Jazz, a toddler and new baby. She couldn't fit the stuff she needed for an overnight stay into her car. Its magic seats are useless when the back of the car is filled with two huge child-seats.
Even with baby seats, my folks would have been able to use that amount of space for a two week holiday!
Sheepshanks said:
It's all temporary though - once they approaching three they refuse to go in a stroller so it can be dumped.
Clearly things have moved on in terms of safety, so perhaps as someone else mentioned, this is more to do with not being able to throw the baby on the back seat in a carry cot and due to people back then not driving as much, or, simply not bothering if they didn't have space etc.
It does seem quite bizarre today to think that some parents thought a baby on their lap in the front was the safest place within the vehicle, whilst others, like my folks, never let us sit in the front and suggested the back was the safest place....with no seat belts, of course.
I still struggle to understand how people feel they won't be able to cope with something like a Zafira, though!
My light-hearted ribbing was more to do with those situations.
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