Well put!!
I am on my 2nd child to be old enough to drive...BUT I refuse to buy the car or pay the insurance unless the grades are great and they are in sports. My 1st paid for his own, the 2nd is a great student and loves sports. The car he drives is a 97 Civic, it is a nice car....BUT...why do parents buy their kids new cars? Is image really that important? What are they teaching the child?
Too many kids get wayyyy to much handed to them on the silver platter! My boys get $15.00 a week, but they work for it! When they are old enough to be on their own, they will know how to mop, vacuum, dust, clean showers and toilets, fold laundry.... My boys know to hold a door for someone and treat people with respect! The worst a teacher has said is that they are a little chatty...the best (and this makes me feel good) is they are very respectful, helpful, and nice to their classmates!
I pray every minute they don't get mixed up with any of the craziness going on! We talk about problems at school and with their friends. They know I'm always there for them.
They might not have the BEST of everything, but they are learning that to get something you work for it, because that is life...
Amen sister! My oldest boy bought a $500 car and we paid for half. I told him that I would match him dollar for dollar. The car broke down a lot, but he LEARNED how to fix it himself.
My boys would of loved getting $15 a week. They asked me about an allowance and I told them to cash in my beer cans or get a job. (We are a family and work together at taking care of the household.) My oldest got a job when he was 12. By the time he was 14 he had 2 paper routes and worked part time. He was out of the house when he was 18 and still in high school and graduated. Has always supported himself and bought his first home and he is 23 now.
My youngest boy has been working since he was 15. Moved out when he was 18 and will graduate this year and is headed for Marine bootcamp in June.
Some people say I was too strict with my boys. There are many times my boys have thanked me for raising them the way I did. Especially after they have seen lazy, mouthy kids their age still living at home.
I also taught them how to cook and clean.....and thank goodness, because girls now days don't know how to do sh!t.
