07.14.08
Teenagers and Cars: My son says, “I’m Not Asking for a Rolls”
My 14 year old teenager loves checking out “hot” cars. For some reason he has this idea that when he turns 16 we’ll be buying him a new car. I’m not sure where or why he would get that idea other than the fact we live in an affluent neighborhood where many people go into credit card debt to pay for cars, weddings, Bar Mitzvahs and communions.
So yesterday we were driving in my Nissan Murano and I noted the car would come off of lease in 2 years, perfect timing for when he turns16, so perhaps we buy it and he make the car payments (from the job he will be getting!). This way we wouldn’t have to buy a used car from a dealer or someone we don’t know. Plus the car is very well made, reliable and sturdy…a perfect car for a teenage boy.
Well - You would have thought I was offering him a 1975 Dodge Dart (actually that might have been better than my prized Murano). He said, “sorry, Mom but I really don’t want this car. It’s not my type, especially the color (silver). I mean can’t I just get a small Lexus like Jennifer? Come on, I’m not asking for a Rolls!” And then he had the nerve to say, “ok, maybe I’ll just get a motorcycle.”
You know those moments when you say, “where did I go wrong?” Well I had one of those. So bascially I told him what we’re going to do. Since we can’t do anything right now, we’ll wait 2 years. Then you figure out how much of YOUR money you can spend on a car including gas and insurance and we’ll see if miraculously that Murano becomes just your “type”….and by the way, if through working you have enough saved for a Lexus…go for it.
It’s not easy living in a neighborhood of entitlement, actually it’s a battle every day. Do any of you face similar issues? How do you handle them?
Stumble it!