Pull a muscle in your back, and you can know real agony for days, weeks, even months. Sometimes people even collapse to the ground in anguish, unable to move without suffering unbearable misery. And with Americans gaining weight at an alarming rate, it’s clear we’re not hitting the gym to blast our extensor, flexor, and oblique muscles on a regular basis, putting us at great risk for chronic, incapacitating pain.

Lifting rear-facing infant carriers and toddlers into sport-utility vehicles doesn’t do our weakened musculature any favors. Especially in parking lots, where clearances between vehicles are tight, we risk debilitating injury every time we swing one of those wide SUV doors open, squeeze into the narrow opening, twist while raising and inserting the child, and struggle to get the seat restraints properly attached to ensure Junior’s safety – all while trying not to ding the bodywork of the car next to ours. And don’t think it’s any easier with a low-slung, entry-luxury sedan, Mom and Dad.

Minivans resolve this problem because of their sliding side doors and ideal height. We know – they’re not cool. Instead of dismissing you as a pathetically vain and insecure person who thinks what you drive is more important than who you are, we’ll provide additional reasoning that shows why, when you’re a new parent or grandparent, a minivan becomes a must-have item in the household – even if it’s just for a little while.