Anonymous wrote:I feel like around here many of the higher HHI teens I know don't drive and/or don't have cars. They tend to live in walkable parts of N. Arlington or Georgetown and have plenty of money for ubers, etc.

On the other hand, the LMC teens I know who need to get jobs and drive younger siblings to school and live in less accessible areas often get cars as soon as they are 16.

yeah no

Yes it's very normal for private school teens to expect a car.

More than that, the issue is that they expect a nice one!

Anonymous wrote:We have 3 cars and 2 drivers. DD goes to a pressure cooker school (doing very well) but I don't think driving to school each day would be good for her. She's 15 so we haven't had the discussion yet. She often doesn't get enough sleep. I don't think she'd want to drive to school either.

Yeah, I feel like a car at 16 would have been bad for me for those reasons. I often didn't get enough sleep, my school day started early, and traffic to my school was awful and for me, it would have meant getting on the highway in Los Angeles, which is challenging enough for an adult, let alone a teen.

I feel like around here many of the higher HHI teens I know don't drive and/or don't have cars. They tend to live in walkable parts of N. Arlington or Georgetown and have plenty of money for ubers, etc.

On the other hand, the LMC teens I know who need to get jobs and drive younger siblings to school and live in less accessible areas often get cars as soon as they are 16.

Whatever happened to getting a summer job so they can buy a car? That is what my kids will be doing, just like I did.

We have 3 cars and 2 drivers. DD goes to a pressure cooker school (doing very well) but I don't think driving to school each day would be good for her. She's 15 so we haven't had the discussion yet. She often doesn't get enough sleep. I don't think she'd want to drive to school either.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think it’s a good idea as it’s a good area for leverage when they are that age. Like you have to keep a certain GPA, or if you get drunk you lose driving privileges for awhile, etc

I don't understand this at all. Regardless of whether a teen uses a parents car, uses a an old car, or is given a new Porsche, they don't have unfettered access to it. Parents always control access.

My teens work in the summer as do I and my spouse. It's not their car, it's my car, but we have a 3rd so they can get to work.

Also, it's a luxury for me to not have to pick up after sports.

No, it is common but by no means expected. We are a one car family and despite a 500k hhi have n9 intention of buying our kids cars. They can borrow ours, bus, Uber, or take the metro if they want independence.

Anonymous wrote:Wait, isn’t this normal? A rite of passage? I’m not talking about a new BMW (which happened often in my HS), but an old beater, a pick up, a used car w/ some miles on it...High school lots are filled w/ student cars so obviously it’s the norm.

Yes it is normal. I am 58 and many of my friends had their own car as juniors.

Almost none had new cars. Most had hand me downs, beaters or second hand Trans Ams or Fireboard.

We were at school at 7 am, out by 1 and then off to jobs and extracurriculars. Parents were happy not to be chauffeurs. Older kids drove younger siblings.

We do not have a high HHI and my teen expects a (used) car. It’s pretty common where we are for a two-car family to become a three-car family as the eldest approaches driving age. Kid gets the oldest car. Blue collar area, lots of “car guys” around.

My DS did not expect a car, however, we recently bought him one. He is a good student with lots of extra curricular activities and now he can drive himself. He is super appreciative, doesn't have unlimited freedom and is generally respectful. I don't think he should have expected one but I am not sorry I got one for him. His little sister will use it when she learns to drive and my DS is off at college.

I went to private school in another area and ALL of my friends were given a car when they turned 16 - sometimes it was a used car purchased for them, a hand me down family car, or a brand new car (various lower end models and higher end models). We lived in a suburban area and my parents loved the fact that I was able to drive myself to practices, etc. I used that first car through college, first job out of college in another state, law school, and post-law school. I think it finally died when I was 30. I was, and am, very grateful. I will likely do the same for my kids when they get their license (assuming they are similarly responsible and grateful).

No, my 16 year old does not expect one but she will be getting one. Due to the number and times of activities she is in she will get a used one that will be a family car (to be passed along to siblings). She swims at 5am and I'm happy to give up that driving job as soon as possible. She knows she will be expected to shuttle her siblings around and do errands for me.

If she just expected to be given one I don't think she would get one.

What do you consider high HHI? Both of our children talk about the car they will get when they get their license. DH and I constantly remind them they will not be given a car. They will have a car once they can be mature enough to work to afford the car, maintenance, gas and insurance. The reality is that we likely help them purchase their first car or buy it for them but it won’t be when they are in high school. And their first car won’t be a new car if we are paying regardless of our HHI.