Opinions Of Teens And Driving...

[dsr611]

My wife and I are having an argument about this and I wanted to see what everyone's opinions are...

 

We became guardians of a 16 yr old teen girl last September when her mother died after a long battle with cancer. She is now 17 and my in-laws gave her their old car ('95 Pontiac Bonneville) as a birthday/early graduation present a few weeks ago. I got the insurance coverage on the car this past week and the tag Friday. She was talking the other day about driving her friends back and forth to school and driving to the beach alot come this summer. I told her she might want to start looking for a job if she's going to be doing so much driving. She must have thought I was joking because she laughed about it and told my wife. Well, my wife asked me if I was serious and I told her that with the price of gas now, I couldn't afford to keep her car filled up with gas so she can go wherever and whenever she pleases.

 

I'm not asking for her to get a full-time job and work every day of the week...just something so that she'll have money for gas. I am already paying her insurance and helping her with money for when she starts college (she is getting SS due to her mom's death and I am adding money to that for her college tuition).

 

I have had a job since the day I turned 16, and still made good grades in school and was responsible for the upkeep of the car I was driving.

 

My wife says that she wants her to concentrate and finish school before she gets a job. Of course, my wife didn't work at all during high school, yet still had to go to night school to get her diploma due to her habit of skipping school. That's what I would call concentrating on school.

[Mckenzie]

A two or three day job during summer won't hurt her...like my college math teacher said it helps put hair on your chest (and yes, he said that to a girl)

[Troy31]

I agree with you completely! There would be absolutely nothing wrong with her working a few/several days a week just for some spending/gas money to help foot the bill for her outings.

[txab]

She needs to work at least during the summer to make money to help with the vehicle expenses. She can still have some time off to do things. Good luck convincing your wife. Two women against you........

[culedood47]

I'm 25, and I've had a job since I was 16 as well. My dad always told me that if I could afford a car and everything that came with it, he'd have no problem. I did use his car to get to work (4-5 days a week) before I bought my own, but always paid for gas and for the insurance difference for having me on his policy during that time.

[Nytemare]

Gotta learn responsibility from somewhere...

 

She has to learn that gas doesn't just appear in the tank...Nothing wrong with filling her tank to go to school etc, however, if your gonna just go driving around aimlessly, its time to pay for it.

 

Like Grape said, a two or three day a week job wont affect school...maybe just her social life a little....which isn't exactly a bad thing either.

[HawkScot]

If you pay gas, insurance, maintenance, etc, you should have some say in where she goes and how far, etc. If she wants more independence and not be concerned with your opinion, then she should pay towards gas at least. IMHO.

[Josh]

I think you would be doing her a disservice to not let her really understand how expensive gas is. and its going to get worse.

[Daryl LBZ]

I agree with you. Ive worked since I was 16 years old, and my parents never paid for anything. The only thing I was given was my first vehicle a 88 Chevy 2wd Pickup, but it needed ALOT of work, and everything It needed I paid for. The more you pay for the less responsible she will be IMO. If it doesn't come free then she will appreciate what she has and take care of it. I know thats how I am atleast.

[Troy31]

My thoughts EXACTLY.

She needs to work at least during the summer to make money to help with the vehicle expenses. She can still have some time off to do things. Good luck convincing your wife. Two women against you........

[thebandnerd03]

im 26 and have been working since i was 14. my first car was a 91 corsica (beater with a heater) that i paid for my self. problem with my generation and this next one is that we were babied to much. i grew up in a rural town and was raised like my dad was. you work for what you want. dont wanna work well i guess you dont want it that bad. kids these days have everything handed to them. we are going to be up shit creek once all the boomers are retired having a bunch of people that haven't worked a day in their lives trying to get this country back on track. everyone i work with that is my age or younger is just a bunch of babies. don't know what work really is. tell her that you will fill the tank once and thats it, once its empty she needs to find a way to fill it. a little work and sweat never hurt anyone

[[email protected]]

Working makes for great experience, I'm only 18 and finding a place that will hire you full-time without any experience in that field is not too easy, so that's why I get me a job every summer so I can have a little experience in various fields for when I need that full time job later on. And although I was given my current truck, that does not mean I abuse the crap out of it, I treat my truck better than anyone else I know does, actually. It's never even seen a mud puddle since I've had it. People are always complimenting me or joking around saying that they're going to take it and haul a load of horse shit around with it.

[doverarjim]

I've got three kids and all of them new as soon as they new what a car was that mom and dad were not in the business of providing a car for them, if they wanted one they should save up for it and mom and dad would help by doing the purchase and registering the car or truck but insurance, gas and ALL repiars were for them to pay for. Just because I drive a dependable truck that is not the reason you can start out with one I paid for. I know its late to start this girl on this path but she needs to understand that nothing if free I don't care what any one says!

[beave84]

Being able to work a little and maintain good grades isn't that much to ask. When she hits college and has to manage classes and study time and basic living tasks, eating doing laundry etc, then whats going to happen? I say a little responsibilty is a good thing to learn.

 

I grew up on a cattle farm, 170-200 head that needed feed and turned out evey morning before school, I got up at 430 along with my brothers and dad and did chores then got ready for school and did it all again when I got home.

 

I graduated with a 3.7 GPA and put myself through school earning two degrees and at 33 have a good life that I owe to dad's insistance on working hard for what you want so you gain a respect for it and what it took to get it.

 

Too many kids having people wipe their asses for them are going to be the down fall of this country in the future.

 

Just my 2 cents.

[sab316]

I've been working since I was 10, usually 65-80 hours a week by the time I was 15 or 16. Yes this was in the summer because of school but it was still work. My sister who is 14 months older than I am never had a job until she was 21 and graduated college. Who do you think is better with money?

 

Working teaches you responsibility, teaches you that money doesn't just get handed to you when you want to do something. Teaches you to plan, budget, and research some things before you buy them.. or spend that gas money on a trip to the beach.

 

By all means make her get a job, she can get a job 2-3 days a week and pay for her own gas money I don't think that it too much to ask. Tell her to get a job in the field she wants to major in. Gets her foot in the door and looks that much better on a resume. My girlfriend in a full time student in college right now and still working almost 30 hours a week. It can easily be done.