Should Parents Buy Their Teen That First Car | License to Parent

It is a trend, and has been for a while, for parents to buy their teenager a car when they turn 16. While this may be a happy day for Junior, are parents missing out on a learning opportunity when they do this?

Should Parents Buy Their Teen That First Car [One Minute Feature]

Think of the responsibility, maturity, and work ethic that can be developed as a teenager puts in the hard work to purchase that first car. You may disagree, but I think these are traits all kids should have before finding a $30,000 toy in the driveway.

What Your Teen Can Learn From Working For that First Car

No specific passage of Scripture directly addresses my topic for today. But in the perspective of the Bible as a whole, I believe there is enough support to allow me to speak on this subject.

In my opinion, you are making a big mistake if you buy, insure, upkeep, and fill up your teen’s first vehicle for them, despite how much you make or what other parents are doing.

Unless your teen shows a track record of incredible responsibility and is quick to respond with a thankful attitude without a hint of entitlement, I suggest letting them know the path—perhaps a very long path—to that first vehicle will be saving and hard work.

And make sure they know that it is their responsibility to get insurance and keep their car running with the money that they have earned with patience, responsible decision making, and hard work. This will be a learning experience for Junior and save Mom and Dad some money. It’s a win-win!

Picture Provided by: Gavin Anderson