Is giving a teen a car a privilege or so common that it’s not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, they sure aren't driving our cars because they are too expensive. I might get them a very safe car that is around $25k, whatever that would be. With 495, all the confusing street signs (NO TURN ON RED 2pm-5pm Mon-Sat) it's terrifying to imagine a child learning to drive in the DC area. I can afford to pay for their UBERs until they go to college but I fear UBER drivers aren't much safer than a 16 year old driver

Just say I'm rich and selfish. No reason your kids can't drive your cars. You don't want them too, which is ok. $25K is a lot of money for a car.

lol ok

You are probably the same parent demanding financial and merit aid for school for your kids.

lol, baseless attacks

[Anonymous]

We are definitely not rich by dcum standards. All five of our kids got cars the summer before their junior years in high school. We bought them inexpensive, older used cars. It made my life easier for sure! Why would I choose to haul around my teens when they can drive themselves. It’s also a big step in maturity and independence. My kids drove to school every day their junior and senior years. I would not want to send an inexperienced driver off to college.

[Anonymous]

We are rich by US standards but poor by DCUM standards. Our children, unlike many of their peers, will not be given cars. One is about to get their license, and they will be allowed to use one of our cars when we are not using it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are definitely not rich by dcum standards. All five of our kids got cars the summer before their junior years in high school. We bought them inexpensive, older used cars. It made my life easier for sure! Why would I choose to haul around my teens when they can drive themselves. It’s also a big step in maturity and independence. My kids drove to school every day their junior and senior years. I would not want to send an inexperienced driver off to college.

How much was their car insurance combined? I have one DS and I doubt I can afford a car after paying for his insurance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are definitely not rich by dcum standards. All five of our kids got cars the summer before their junior years in high school. We bought them inexpensive, older used cars. It made my life easier for sure! Why would I choose to haul around my teens when they can drive themselves. It’s also a big step in maturity and independence. My kids drove to school every day their junior and senior years. I would not want to send an inexperienced driver off to college.

My kid didn't have a car in college. Most kids don't.

[Anonymous]

"For UMC kids, yes, it’s normall"

Our HHI is near 500K, and there's no way in H*7l we're buying our kid a car.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are definitely not rich by dcum standards. All five of our kids got cars the summer before their junior years in high school. We bought them inexpensive, older used cars. It made my life easier for sure! Why would I choose to haul around my teens when they can drive themselves. It’s also a big step in maturity and independence. My kids drove to school every day their junior and senior years. I would not want to send an inexperienced driver off to college.

If you bought cars, helped pay for insurance and gas for FIVE, FIVE kids, yes, you are rich.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are definitely not rich by dcum standards. All five of our kids got cars the summer before their junior years in high school. We bought them inexpensive, older used cars. It made my life easier for sure! Why would I choose to haul around my teens when they can drive themselves. It’s also a big step in maturity and independence. My kids drove to school every day their junior and senior years. I would not want to send an inexperienced driver off to college.

If you bought cars, helped pay for insurance and gas for FIVE, FIVE kids, yes, you are rich.

If they were rich, they wouldn't be buying older, used cars.

[Anonymous]

I was on the lower end of middle class and all my friends had cars. The difference from today is that decent used cars could be bought for $750-1500. We all had jobs starting at 15-16. I plan on giving my son my current car when he turns 16 (it will be 10 years old by then)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are definitely not rich by dcum standards. All five of our kids got cars the summer before their junior years in high school. We bought them inexpensive, older used cars. It made my life easier for sure! Why would I choose to haul around my teens when they can drive themselves. It’s also a big step in maturity and independence. My kids drove to school every day their junior and senior years. I would not want to send an inexperienced driver off to college.

If you bought cars, helped pay for insurance and gas for FIVE, FIVE kids, yes, you are rich.

Kids don’t turn 16 at the same time. And most kids don’t need a car in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"For UMC kids, yes, it’s normall"

Our HHI is near 500K, and there's no way in H*7l we're buying our kid a car.

You are not UMC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are definitely not rich by dcum standards. All five of our kids got cars the summer before their junior years in high school. We bought them inexpensive, older used cars. It made my life easier for sure! Why would I choose to haul around my teens when they can drive themselves. It’s also a big step in maturity and independence. My kids drove to school every day their junior and senior years. I would not want to send an inexperienced driver off to college.

If you bought cars, helped pay for insurance and gas for FIVE, FIVE kids, yes, you are rich.

Kids don’t turn 16 at the same time. And most kids don’t need a car in college.

7 cars over 10-15 years is a lot. Plus college costs, activities, clothes, larger house for that many kids, food, gas, insurance, health care...it all adds up. You are either very rich or have creative finances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are definitely not rich by dcum standards. All five of our kids got cars the summer before their junior years in high school. We bought them inexpensive, older used cars. It made my life easier for sure! Why would I choose to haul around my teens when they can drive themselves. It’s also a big step in maturity and independence. My kids drove to school every day their junior and senior years. I would not want to send an inexperienced driver off to college.

If you bought cars, helped pay for insurance and gas for FIVE, FIVE kids, yes, you are rich.

If they were rich, they wouldn't be buying older, used cars.

Define older and used. For one person it is a $20k car 3 years off lease. To, me it is a 15-20 year old car.

[Anonymous]

This is really regional.

I live in a town where everyone bikes. My teen already gets everywhere he needs to go by biking. But we are sending him off in to the world for college and he had better know how to drive and have a lot of experience by the time that happens. We won't give him a car but he will use ours.

[Anonymous]

My parents made around $100k and bought both my brother and I brand new cars before college. Not great cars, but $22k each. It was definitely the norm in our neighborhood, but this was not in the DC area.