Are Dads Just Big Dogs That Talk?

[Trailer Park Casanova]

Heading to the river, I picked up the daughter from school while on the way.
I have to hold out my wallets picture of her to reconize her from the 1000's of other girls in their uniforms.
Sometimes talking to her is the same feeling like when you grab a doorknob and it comes off in your hand.
She spent the entire boating season sitting in the boat at Parker last year with mono.,, and Honors class home work. Yea,, it's lasts through summer.
One trip to the river,, a huge massive 3/4 million dollar Prevost MoHo pulled up next to our site, and out stepped 4 teenage boys, as the daughter said "They look like soap opera, gentelmens quarterly" sons of the owner & their friends of the MoHo.
This family had been on the road for a month,, and they boys hadn't talked to a girl near their age that entire time.
Well, our daughter hit the mirror and on went the makup and a bikini, a book, a beach chair, and enough Red Bulls to offer the boys a drink.
Wasn't long, I walked out to the beach and the boys were all sitting around her with their tongues in the sand, a full tray of red bulls in action our daughter holdin court.
It was her birthday this day, and we gave her a new Miata that our neighbor drove out for us.
She checked out the radio,, looked it over a bit, gave me a kiss and a thank you, then headed back to the party with the boys.
I'da slept in that car if my parents gave me something like that,,,
In the eyes of our daughters,, I think Dads are just big dogs that talk.
[ June 17, 2003, 07:17 PM: Message edited by: Trailer Park Casanova ]

[Hal]

delete....
[ June 18, 2003, 07:38 AM: Message edited by: Hal ]

[mtndewdrops]

I would not dream of giving my daughter a new Miata. Since I was 15, I worked for every dime that I spent on my first car and appreciated everything about it.
Now that I have 3 daughters of my own, I told them that they can "Borrow" my Camry until they can save enough to buy a car of their own. :(
I think kids appreciate things more when they have to earn the money it takes to aquire them... Don't get me wrong, it is a nice gesture...and yes, I am jealous. wink

[River Ric]

I gotta agree. No new cars for kids. I have an Uncle that is a Gazillionaire. He bought both my cousins used cars. Nothing fancy either. I bought my own first car 67 Mustang. $750. cash. That's when $2.00 an hour was good money. I still have the car. Just turned down $15,000 at the fair groungs Hot Rod Show for her this weekend. My son wants to have her and I said "When Hell Freezes." I told him that we could start looking for a used Hot Rod. I will match what ever he has saved. He has 2 years to drive.My wife and I make great money. I could have spent $20,000. on the that 396 SS Chevelle convertable that he feel in love with at the show. Pay cash!!! He won't appeciate it unless he pays for it. I did though buy it for my wife's birthday next week. Spoiled kids turn into "Shitty" adults. I have one for a brother. Keep it simple and your kids will love you for it. Just my 2 cents. wink

[cola]

Kids know more then you think. It's not how much money you spend or don't. It's the time & Love you give that makes good people. If work at a pay job is what entertains there mind & teaches responsibility so be it. But if sports, academics or ? does & no time to WORK then why penalize the kid. I quite High school ball to go to work so I could have a car, & missed a time both my kids loved. I bought them the cars & it worked for us. Give the Love first the rest will follow.
Later, Mike&Kim

[Boozer]

I can speak first hand on how important it is for a kid to buy their own car. At least most kids.
I grew up very poor. At 16 all my friends were getting cars for their birthdays. My dad gave me his old beater which wound up being a pos and lasted like 2 months before blwoing up. Fortunately we had a friend who worked in the automotive business and told us what car was going to sell for $99 at a slash it sale. Camped over night and bought the car. It was a POS but I paid for it and I appreciated it. About 7 months later the car took a crap so I bought a good car with my own money.
I am now 22 years old I drive a newer Dodge Durango own my own cookie cutter boat, in the process of buying my first $250,000 home and coming next spring will be buying what looks to be at this time a 28' Magic deck boat. I also have 2 dirt bikes and a quad. All things that I have bought with my hard earned money.
All my friends who got free cars at 16. Well... They are still driving the same cars and still living with their parents barely keeping their jobs at in n out and digging pools for minimum wage. So go figure.
I'm sure that when I have kids I'll have more then enough money to buy them cars. I might buy them beater ass crap box cars just to get them through school but I definitely wont be buying them nice cars. It's also going to depend on their dedication to school. If they are dedicated to school and slammed with so much honors homework that they don't have time to work a job and buy a car then dad will be buying them something decent. If they **** off in school and dont dedicate themselves to it then they can use all their free time to get a head start in the real world and work for it.
I kinda think it depends on the situation. But all in all I wouldn't buy my kids a nice car. They can do that on their own. I'd help but thats about it.

[Boozer]

RiverDave:
Boozer, where i spent most of my childhood all of my friends always had all the top notch toys cars etc..
I know a few that turned out bad, and i know alot that turned out good.
Being that they all had nice cars, toys etc.. how do you explain that?
RD Dedication.
In the case of casinova I think buying his daughter a car was a good thing. With those honors classes she's doing I am sure she has no time for a job.
My friends had time to work but they would rather smoke pot after school and on weekends then get a job. Why work when mom and dad give you money all the time and they pay for your car, insurance, everything?
Dedication is the most important factor. If you're kid is dedicated to working hard in school then get them a decent car. If they think school sucks and don't want a job then don't give them shit.

[eliminatedsprinter]

I have a 95 integra I got new after my 92 civic Si was stolen. My son is about to turn 10. If I can keep it running right (I have an outstanding Honda mechanic) and afford a new car for myself, it will be his when he gets his license. I'm hoping it will help teach him the value of taking care of things an making good things last.

[SchellSchock]

Rule One....Go to School/College, and dedicate to it, and I'll take care of roof, food, transportation, entertainment funds for as long as it takes to get your degree.
Rule Two....Don't follow rule One and you're on your own plus you're paying me rent to live in my house so get a job.
Raised 4 kids with these Rules, 1 got a job doing good, 1 went to Uni and doin good, 1 got a job and now is going back to college and doing good, 1 had multiple jobs, didn't finish HS and is in constant trouble so I'm not sure it is always how ya' raise 'em. 75% success rate but????

[NastyOne]

I just have to put my 2 cents in. It is not the cars that you drive or the things your parents buy for you that make you a good or bad person. ITS THE PARENTING! When I turned 15 my mom and dad bought me a brand new truck and then when I turned 20 I got another one. Now at 21 I have more toys than most 40 year olds can shake a stick at. But I dont think that makes me a bad person. I know that my parents grew up.... on the poverty side of the traks, and that makes me realize just how lucky I am. And to Boozer, saying how a lot of his spoiled friends just want to do drugs and not work. I have friends like that too, but I was spoiled and now work my ass off. Some people just dont have the drive.

[Boozer]

Shit! You're right! I should call him on the phone and be like "Hey dad thanks for ****in stiffin me on a nice car when I was a kid. Since I am pissed about that to this day I think you need to wire me about $2500 so I can head to Lake Havasu tomorrow night.

[Boozer]

Not a chance :(
Anyone wanna be my dad for a weekend?

[=PAYED CA$H=]

BEING AN ESCALADE OWNER MYSELF......
I GIVE ALL VOTES TO RIVER DAVE ON THIS TOPIC.....
IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT, DONT BE A TITE WAD JUST GET IT FOR THEM........BECAUSE ALL THE LESSONS LEARNED IN BUYING YOUR OWN CAR WHEN YOUR 16 GOES OUT THE ****IN WINDOW IF YOU DO WELL LATER IN LIFE...
THEN YOU REALIZE THAT YOUR PARENTS COULD HAVE BOUGHT IT BUT WERE TITE WADS AND WANTED TO TEACH YOU SOMETHING THAT JUST WENT OUT THE ****IN WINDOW..... eek!
SOME CAN, SOME CANT.......PLAIN AND SIMPLE... :D

[Ziggy]

I'm living this as we speak...My 20 yr old was put through school to become at Technician. We provided a transportation vehicle(nice used Ranger which BTW was his second car), a boat, room, board and extra cash to play with. He trashed the truck, rolled it, always hungry and begged for more $.......fast forward another year and half, he now works and makes good money but still drives his flatened truck, and can't seem to put priorities in order. He's a great kid but seems he didn't learn to appreciate what was provided. He wants me to help him get another vehicle now but after the way he's treated his other belongings I can't support the idea....funny thing is, the things he has bought on his own are taken care of because he spent his money on it, not dad's. Likewise the boat, it was a fixer to begin with, he spent hours and hours dolling it up and he has pride to keep it up, and rightfully so, its a beautiful old Kindsvter.
There is NOTHING that says PRIDE more than being able to do it yourself, somehow, someway.
He'll make it but I have to be the grouchy ol' dad that won't let him have something for a change.
I sure wish they made a owners manual for parents so we wouldn't go through all the trail and errors.