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Add to FavoritesIf you are like most parents, a day will arrive when your teenager comes home for the first time with a big smile as he or she shows you their still-warm, freshly-pressed Driver's License for the first time. Your child has reached the age when it becomes legal to operate a motor vehicle and has demonstrated that he or she has acquired the necessary skills to drive. With few exceptions, teenagers in turn will want their own car; for it is a figurative and literal symbol of independence. It's just not cool to depend on Mom or Dad to haul you around on dates, to the mall, or out for pizza with your friends. As such, many will gladly accept anything with four wheels that runs.
But therein lies the problem: Even a quality used car will cost thousands of dollars. Back in the days of this author's adolescence, one could buy a car for as little as $75 or $100, but today that won't even cover a tune-up. Sure, you can still buy cars for less than four figures, but to do so is asking for trouble. While there are no specific boundaries, it's safe for one to expect to pay a minimum of around $6000 for anything deemed dependable. Prices keep going up and up. Now that the average window sticker on new cars hovers near $30,000, this in turn has considerably raised the asking prices of used cars. Unless we happen to be the CEO of some huge corporation or perform brain surgery, most of us as parents will be looking at used examples for our newly-licensed teens. Come to think of it, even the affluent should look at used cars in this current state of economic turmoil.
At any rate, there is simply no way for most high-schoolers to be able to afford a car without the financial assistance of parents. Even if your son or daughter spends their after-school hours diligently flipping burgers at the local fast-food joint, there would be no money left over after making monthly loan payments, keeping the tank full of fuel, and keeping up with preventative maintenance. Therefore, the parents should help out in some way or another. There are ways to do this: In my case, I was given a hand-me-down car from my father. About three quarters of its life had been used up, and it held very little trade value, so he simply let me have it. As a result, I had a good starter car and drove it for two years before it finally went to that Big Lot in the sky. Here's another situation: My daughter will only be 12 next month, but she has already decided what kind of car she wants: a Volkswagen New Beetle. I am already looking at used examples and would consider purchasing one at the right price if I stumble onto the opportunity and simply store it until she reaches driving age. I know that if I wait until she's 16 (or 18, if some lawmakers get their way) the same car will cost $2000-3000 more. Every parent out there should consider such a strategy. People have no problems saving for their children's college educations, so they should likewise do so for future cars.
Finally, a car represents the ultimate gift to your teenager. While the exchange of material things can never replace the unconditional sentiment of love, the gift of a car shows that you trust your child. You have given them approval to begin an important rite of passage, and have shown that you are conscientious for their well-being and very safety. While no used car is perfect, we as parents should be willing to shell out a sum sufficient enough to ensure our sons and daughters will arrive home each night. Forcing them to buy some $1000 beater that could blow an engine next week is not the answer, is it?
Learn more about this author, Patrick Sills.
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Teen
The last time that Peter Parker saw his uncle alive, he told Peter "With great power, comes great responsibility". Peter Parker became Spider-Man, took this wisdom from his uncle and used it to provide the city of New York with his web-slinging, crime-fighting capabilities. Having a car is great power for many teenagers. The ability to drive yourself and not have to use mom and dad as a taxi. The ability to give friends rides. The ability to go up and drive to the gas station or supermarket whenever you want. When I first got my license, I felt like the whole world was opening up to me. However, as having a car is great power, it comes with great responsibility.
Ownin g a vehicle is a crucial part of growing up and gaining independence as a teenager. It is also a very important and crucial stepping stone into adulthood. Buying a car is a teenager's responsibility. He/She is the one that has to start growing up and has to start taking this step into adulthood by taking care of the obligations set before him/her. I have seen too many cases where I went to high school and at the college I attend now where parents paid not only for their teenager's car but for insurance as well, and this leads to a lack of responsibility for the teenager and a lack of respect for both the parents and the car. I have seen multiple teenagers let their engines overheat from not checking their oil or changing it, and countless other problems among these individuals that don't understand the responsibility and respect that they should have in a motor vehicle.
Firstly, when a teenager buys their own car, not only is it teaching them responsibility, but it is also giving them a sense of self-worth as their own hard work, sweat, and effort have embodied themselves into whatever car they choose to buy. This is great for a teenager's self-esteem as they know that if they work hard they can provide for themselves (to an extent of course). When I bought my first car I saw that I finally had what I had been working for all this time.
On the contrast, a friend of mine at the same time was upset that his parents bought him a 3 year old SAAB instead of a new one. He didn't see the greatness that I saw in my car. Yes, you did read that correctly. He complained that he got a 2003 SAAB in 2006. I'll let you ponder on that. Also, teenagers who buy their own cars (at least at my high school) were less likely to do stupid stuff with their car, leading to less wrecks. This was due to the fact that those who bought their cars knew the costs and understood everything it took to get that car, and everything that was put into it.
When teenagers don't buy their first car, I've noticed that in many teens it creates a sense of entitlement, like they should receive stuff from their parents just because they grace us with their presence on a daily basis. Having a sense of entitlement in this world is the first step on the path that you don't want your child to go on. In this business-heavy globalized market that we have, a sense of entitlement will leave your teenager with a future sense of unemployment.
Secondl y, it established within me a sense of respect for my parents and my car, ultimately increasing my work ethic, increasing my knowledge and understanding of personal finance, and ultimately strengthening my relationship with my parents, even though I had more independence. Since it took so much money to provide the necessary maintenance on my car and to keep paying insurance and the car payment, I had to learn to balance my budget better or I wasn't going to make that next payment. I also had to pick up a few shifts when I could in order to get more money in case I wanted to do something that I didn't appropriate in my budget already. Both these things led to a stronger relationship with my parents, as I understood more about the troubles that they face with raising a family everyday and the monumental costs that are accrued from it.
After I bought my car, I knew I made the right decision. I became more responsible and took better care of the car than if my parents bought it for me. I understood my parents more as time went on. I learned some of the concepts that help us as adults, like building a budget. When I slid my key into the ignition, I felt that great power, that freedom, that ability; I knew however, that great power, came with great responsibility.
Learn more about this author, Joshua Greene.
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