What happens when the family goes somewhere in the car and they can’t decide on what music to listen to – mom’s, dad’s or the kids’ favorites? Well, in my family, if it’s dad that’s driving we listen to sports radio, rockabilly, old time country, punk, or ska. Paul and I have similar tastes but don’t agree on everything. (I’m not a big ska fan, but can tolerate it most of the time. However, I can only listen to the Dead Kennedys in very small doses.)

The kids usually request Devo in daddy’s truck, which is fun but then you have to explain why it’s not polite to sing Devo’s “Mongoloid” out loud at a restaurant. Sigh.

If I’m the one driving, I listen to local rock stations or music I listened to in high school like Duran Duran or Bruce Springsteen. I’m also a talk radio junky, which is why my kids are very aware that Barak Obama is running for the presidency. (And love it when Randi Rhodes plays comedienne Rusty Warren’s Bounce Your Boobies on air.)

Occasionally, the kids will request Green Day’s American Idiot, which rocks but is full of f-bombs and drug references that I hope are going over their heads. Another sigh.

But if it were up to the kids, we’d be listening to the Disney CDs I received from the folks at Mom Central:

• Rhyming Circus by Ralph’s World (i.e. Ralph Covert of The Bad Examples)
• Juice Box Heroes from the Imagination Movers
• Choo Choo Soul
• Here Come the 123s by They Might Be Giants
• Disney Music Block Party – Disney favorites performed by Disney Playhouse regulars like the Doodlebops (Lucie’s favorites), the Wiggles and Dan Zanes

So far, I like Disney Music Block Party and Here Come the 123s. Like Devo (think the theme songs to the Nickelodeon shows Rugrats and Rocket Power – yep, it’s those Mothersbaugh brothers.) They Might Be Giants have created kids’ music that hip parents like, too.

I also gave a listen to Choo Choo Soul, which the kids like but I couldn’t stand. I’m just not into hip hop that much. Luckily, Nathan has a stereo in his room to listen to all his new Disney CDs with his sister. Unfortunately, they can never agree on what to listen to, and end up fighting more than listening to music. Sounds like we’ll have to ask Santa to bring Lucie her own CD player for the holidays.

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