Prudie Day

ei34

Aka real Thursday, not yesterday’s faux Thursday. How’s everyone?

levioosa

Wish it was real Friday. lol. 

Morning is going. Grandpa made it through his surgery last night. I'm not going to lie, I was getting verrrrry nervous and was already planning how to call family members. The surgery was supposed to take 30 minutes and it took four hours. At hour 2 I was like this is potentially very very bad, just from an objective view. And then it took two more hours and I was becoming sure we were going to get The Call. As of last night he was in better spirits (on pain medication though) but hopefully he keeps healing okay. My dad is driving me a little nuts, but oh well. 

Overbooked today, hooray. Can't wait for the weekend, except it's going to be beyond chock full of plans and there's no rest on the horizon until next Sunday, maybe.

ei34

I’m sitting pretty bc I’m in my favorite two weeks of the year. School is still in session (I enjoy the rigor and structure of going somewhere everyday -and my kids going somewhere every day) BUT it’s the end of the year, so the kids aren’t getting homework anymore, extracurriculars are 98% done. It sounds crazy but it almost brings me back to my 20s- going to work, but once I’m home it’s pretty much just dinner and shower. No extra stuff to do or places to go. It’s just the best. 

@levioosa just saw your post, best vibes your way!

CharmedPam

So glad everything’s ok @levioosa, those must have been some trying 4 hours of your life!

I’m so thankful my dentist fit me in at noon. I have some bad tooth pain and last night I took a picture of the bothersome one.  There’s a tiny hole where I had a cavity filled like 1.5 months ago.  I think it fell out.  And I’m leaving the country (well, not really, but I’ll be on a cruise ship) Saturday! My dentist only works Tuesday’s and Thursday’s.  I could not wait till the 26th with this pain!
Now that my room is all done and put together, i can focus on my next endeavor, Alaska.  Tonight I’m packing my carry on which is my puffy jacket and all my shoes. I have rainboots, casual closed toe, sandals for the ship (I actually hate closed toe), gym shoes and a pair of fancy ones for formal night.  I probably have more shoe changes than wardrobe ones. 

charlotte989875

All the good vibes @levioosa! 

WFH again today and I do love being able to pop down to see J during the day. My coworker is leaving. It’s not official yet, and she’s staying with the org but she has a few great options and it looks like she’s decided. It’s great for her and the right timing for her to go but she’s my favorite person to work with. It’ll be a lot of change in our team so lots of interesting stuff on the horizon. 

short+sassy

@leviooosa, I'm glad your grandfather is doing pretty well after his surgery, all things considered.  I hope he has a smooth recovery.

My work is having a spring event on Saturday.  It is at a higher end downtown bowling alley.  It's also about a block away from Harrahs and I have $25 in slot play I can use.

Work is super busy and it is making me feel a bit stressed and tired.  The person I primarily support hired someone else (B) a few months ago to help him, so now some of the things I do go to the new person.  B and I were having an informal chit-chat yesterday.  He was talking about being totally overwhelmed and that two big projects that were mostly going to be next year, might be moved up sooner.

Note to self: put plans to move to Cincinnati into even higher gear because they really can't afford to lose me right now and will be pressured even more to let me WFH, lol.

banana468

Last official day of school!  Kids have a half day and the ceremony for Chiquita's school was last night.  Despite failing her Algebra final she's at least passing the class and I'm proud of her.   The teachers are phenomenal and I'm glad Chiquito is onto bigger and better things.  

I'm so saddened by an update on a local board to see a member post that she has stage 4 cancer that has metastisized.  She's my age.  My heart aches for her and has secondary panic for myself.  

charlotte989875

Has anyone been following the car discourse on Twitter? Where parents got their teenager an old car who said she didn’t want it. 

Just saw someone comment that excluding the teenager from the decision making process of buying the car stripped them of their agency, and y’all this is where gentle parenting looses me. 

short+sassy

@CharmedPam, enjoy Alaska!  What a relief you were able to get a dentist appointment before you go.  Especially on a cruise, you want to be able to eat ALL the foods!

@banana468, Yay to no more elementary school!  Though I'm sorry to hear about your all's school board member.  It's awful when something like that happens, especially to someone in the prime of life.

banana468

charlotte989875 said:

Has anyone been following the car discourse on Twitter? Where parents got their teenager an old car who said she didn’t want it. 

Just saw someone comment that excluding the teenager from the decision making process of buying the car stripped them of their agency, and y’all this is where gentle parenting looses me. 

Yup.  I don't know enough about that car (if we're talking the Buick) but any issues I have are more with the age of the car itself and its safety features.  We're not far from this for Chiquita and my concerns getting her a car are going to be getting one that's reliable and safe and ideally with modern features that can help a new driver - especially one with ADHD - navigate through the open roads.  

Having a small car I'd probably have my kid try a car on for size to ensure that she's actually able to SEE.  (and would do the same if I had a kid the size of my brother who at 16 was over 6' tall and well over 200 lbs) to ensure that the fit was comfortable and kids can see where they're going.

But beyond that, in a time where everything is more expensive and finding a reliable used car in your price bracket is more difficult, my kid will reach the point where you can refuse the car that your parents are offering but that also comes with the consequence that I am not going to drive you everywhere and you do not get to have the use of my car unless I authorize it on my terms.  

EVERYTHING costs more right now.  And you can be a 16 yo honor student and that's still not going to get you far after you graduate and go off to college unless you stand out so much that you've had colleges recruiting you.  College is EXPENSIVE and many parents who want to help their kids out financially know that it's a time where larger checks need to be written.  If Chiquita pulled something like that there would be LONG talks about what she thinks she deserves and how she intends to finance that HERSELF. 

So - the mom in me says that anyone who is in favor of the kid's response here is giving license to entitled brats. 

mrsconn23

charlotte989875 said:

Has anyone been following the car discourse on Twitter? Where parents got their teenager an old car who said she didn’t want it. 

Just saw someone comment that excluding the teenager from the decision making process of buying the car stripped them of their agency, and y’all this is where gentle parenting looses me. 

OMG, LOL I cannot.  I haven't seen it, but you.are.not.owed.a.car.  If you get one as a teen, you get what you get and you don't throw a fit. I personally cannot believe the amount of kids/young adults these days that are just forgoing driving altogether.  It's not like we have the infrastructure for that and Ubering everywhere is just unreliable and expensive as hell.  

I appreciate the shift toward gentle parenting because there is stuff about my youth that makes me cringe (my undiagnosed paralyzing anxiety) because my parents just didn't know better.   But kids still sometimes just need to be told 'no' unequivocally without handholding or considering their 'feels' about it. 

@levioosa- OMG, I hate those scary surgery situations.  Been there and it sucks.  Glad grandpa seems to be resting comfortably.  I hope he continues to improve. 

Hi, so glad it's Thursday.  I'm so looking forward to our weekend.  We have a lot planned.  Yay!

Prudie coming up. 

levioosa

charlotte989875 said:

Has anyone been following the car discourse on Twitter? Where parents got their teenager an old car who said she didn’t want it. 

Just saw someone comment that excluding the teenager from the decision making process of buying the car stripped them of their agency, and y’all this is where gentle parenting looses me. 

See I feel like that's where  a lot of "gentle parenting" has lost the thread and has become permissive parenting. A bunch of "gentle parenting" is just permissive parenting tbh. True gentle parenting gives a bunch of boundaries and consequences to actions. Momma Cusses on Tik Tok has some pretty funny posts about "what I thought gentle parenting would be vs what it actually is." 

Did I want a nicer car instead of a 20 year old Oldsmobile as a teen? Well duh. But I was beyond ecstatic to even have a car. Turning down a car because it wasn't exactly what you wanted is spoiled brat behavior. Sad to say I grew up with kids who made their parents return and get them the car they wanted. I also don't see anyyyy reason to buy kids super nice things. 90% of teens are going to thrash that car. As long as it's safe, it's good enough. I remember SIL's BFF used to pull up behind us to park wayyy too fast. She hit us (not super hard) multiple times at meet-ups and joked, "look! Our cars are kissing!" I used to hit speed bumps at like 3x the recommended speed bump limit. I had a friend who never checked her oil or got her car serviced until we were supposed to go on a mini road trip and I advised we check levels (oil was bone dry and to this day I don't know how that car was running). Kids don't need a BMW or luxury car. They need a reliable and safe car that will get them from point A to point B and will keep them safe from teenage shenanigans and driving. 

Casadena

Exactly @levioosa. Actual "gentle parenting" is essentially, not yelling and shaming. But keeping YOURSELF in check and holding boundaries. That's not how many people practice "gentle parenting" though. 

I haven't seen any of this, but that teenager can shove it and i hope parents didn't cave and get something else. 

I'm in a funk today and just feel tired and sad. i have a bunch of errand to run and just can't make myself do it. I need a nap. 

levioosa

@casadena *Hugs*

@charmedpam I'm glad you got your tooth fixed! H lost a crown a few weeks ago and I was like oh hell no are we having a dental emergency on that ship. You make a dental appointment now and fix it so we can enjoy all of the food. lol

Thanks for the good vibes this past week, everyone!

charlotte989875

I’m with you all! I ended up down the rabbit hole of permissive parenting and wow that’s a whole different world. Someone was going off about how parents you make their kids whatever the kids want for every meal because “they’re humans and deserve to have their needs me” and I’m sorry but if I did that M would eat ice cream and Cheetos 5x a day. We give 2-3 choices and he can pick from those (and we do that with most things) but he cannot choose whatever he wants whenever he wants. 

levioosa

charlotte989875 said:

I’m with you all! I ended up down the rabbit hole of permissive parenting and wow that’s a whole different world. Someone was going off about how parents you make their kids whatever the kids want for every meal because “they’re humans and deserve to have their needs me” and I’m sorry but if I did that M would eat ice cream and Cheetos 5x a day. We give 2-3 choices and he can pick from those (and we do that with most things) but he cannot choose whatever he wants whenever he wants. 

Hell I have to gentle parent myself because given the option I too would only want ice cream five times a day. lol

I feel like permissive parenting also takes away all of the potential for coping skills. Sometimes you don't get what you want in life. That's reality. Not in the same way that a lot of Boomer's say "life is hard! Suck it up!" but reality is also not always pleasant. Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do. Sometimes you have to wait for things that won't pay off for a long time. Being given everything in life rarely creates functioning empathetic adults. 

charlotte989875

levioosa said:

charlotte989875 said:

I’m with you all! I ended up down the rabbit hole of permissive parenting and wow that’s a whole different world. Someone was going off about how parents you make their kids whatever the kids want for every meal because “they’re humans and deserve to have their needs me” and I’m sorry but if I did that M would eat ice cream and Cheetos 5x a day. We give 2-3 choices and he can pick from those (and we do that with most things) but he cannot choose whatever he wants whenever he wants. 

Hell I have to gentle parent myself because given the option I too would only want ice cream five times a day. lol

I feel like permissive parenting also takes away all of the potential for coping skills. Sometimes you don't get what you want in life. That's reality. Not in the same way that a lot of Boomer's say "life is hard! Suck it up!" but reality is also not always pleasant. Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do. Sometimes you have to wait for things that won't pay off for a long time. Being given everything in life rarely creates functioning empathetic adults. 

Exactly. And we do a lot of gentle parenting. We hold boundaries for M (if you hit or kick we have to move you away to keep everyone safe; if you don’t put away toys we can’t get new ones out; etc) and sometimes we just have to do things we don’t want to do. Like wear shoes to school. He can choose them, he can put them on or we can but we have to wear shoes to school and it’s not going to take an hour to do that because we have to go to work. 

short+sassy

charlotte989875 said:

Has anyone been following the car discourse on Twitter? Where parents got their teenager an old car who said she didn’t want it. 

Just saw someone comment that excluding the teenager from the decision making process of buying the car stripped them of their agency, and y’all this is where gentle parenting looses me. 

My mom gave me her old 1970 Chevy Nova, with its completely faded out paint job, when I got my driver's license.  But it ran and I was super grateful!

I think it's okay to keep a teenager's preference in mind when buying them a car.  Especially if they are contributing to it also.  But no teenager deserves a car and they should be thankful for whatever car they get or money they are given to help with a purchase.

My high school friends and their car stories:

One of the other girls in my class got a brand new BMW.  It had a personalized plate that said, "TOBI'S BMR" (I think the apostrophe was a sticker add-on).  The license plate holder under that said "Daddy's payments". 

My high school boyfriend got a brand new car that he totaled a few months later.  He was drunk and lost his license until he was 18, so no replacement car for him.

Another friend was given a brand new car.  She totaled it within 6 months.  Her dad said he would give her $5K for a used car.  KIM, this was over 30 years ago, so it's more like $12K in today's money.  She decided that if she had to downgrade to a used car, it should at least be a beemer.  She was flipping through one of those car trader magazines and complaining she needed more like $8K for a decent, used BMW.  She was plotting how to talk her dad into giving her more money, smh.

Even as a teenager myself, I rolled my eyes at all of these people.

banana468

Yeah I totlally rolled my eyes HARD at the kids who got new cars, Corvettes, etc.

My only concern w/ kids and cars is that so many newer cars have great safety features that if you CAN get them, add them.   But I also drive an older minivan and am fine with it.  

charlotte989875

banana468 said:

Yeah I totlally rolled my eyes HARD at the kids who got new cars, Corvettes, etc.

My only concern w/ kids and cars is that so many newer cars have great safety features that if you CAN get them, add them.   But I also drive an older minivan and am fine with it.  

This is how I look at it too. I need my kids to be safe and have a reliable car. Beyond that anything is a luxury. If we could find multiple cars within the budget that’s safe, sure I’d give them an option. But if there was only one? That’s the one they’d be getting. 

ILoveBeachMusic

charlotte989875 said:

Has anyone been following the car discourse on Twitter? Where parents got their teenager an old car who said she didn’t want it. 

Just saw someone comment that excluding the teenager from the decision making process of buying the car stripped them of their agency, and y’all this is where gentle parenting looses me. 

Good grief! I would have been happy with my parents buying me any car when I was a teenager. The entitlement just astounds me.

short+sassy

banana468 said:

Yeah I totlally rolled my eyes HARD at the kids who got new cars, Corvettes, etc.

My only concern w/ kids and cars is that so many newer cars have great safety features that if you CAN get them, add them.   But I also drive an older minivan and am fine with it.  

Oh, goodness!  Seatbelts were optional in 1970.  But my Chevy Nova had them because my dad saw the wisdom early on.  When my parents bought that car new, they added the seatbelt "upgrade". 

banana468

short+sassy said:

banana468 said:

Yeah I totlally rolled my eyes HARD at the kids who got new cars, Corvettes, etc.

My only concern w/ kids and cars is that so many newer cars have great safety features that if you CAN get them, add them.   But I also drive an older minivan and am fine with it.  

Oh, goodness!  Seatbelts were optional in 1970.  But my Chevy Nova had them because my dad saw the wisdom early on.  When my parents bought that car new, they added the seatbelt "upgrade". 

Right? 

But now there are things like side curtain air bags, lane drift alarms and blind spot alarms plus anti lock breaks and all wheel or 4WD.    Some of the above are more negotiable than others.  

My point on that is that I'm not a huge fan of the 'back in my day' answer to most things because the dead people aren't here to say why those things aren't working.  So I don't think the full answer is 'be happy with any car that starts' (which I know is not really what's being said) but especially for a first driver, I want them to have a car that has the features when they'll be driving at an age where car accidents are a main cause of death and a safer car can save a life.  So I'll go for Buick w/ the safety features over Jeep Wrangler without them.

levioosa

banana468 said:

short+sassy said:

banana468 said:

Yeah I totlally rolled my eyes HARD at the kids who got new cars, Corvettes, etc.

My only concern w/ kids and cars is that so many newer cars have great safety features that if you CAN get them, add them.   But I also drive an older minivan and am fine with it.  

Oh, goodness!  Seatbelts were optional in 1970.  But my Chevy Nova had them because my dad saw the wisdom early on.  When my parents bought that car new, they added the seatbelt "upgrade". 

Right? 

But now there are things like side curtain air bags, lane drift alarms and blind spot alarms plus anti lock breaks and all wheel or 4WD.    Some of the above are more negotiable than others.  

My point on that is that I'm not a huge fan of the 'back in my day' answer to most things because the dead people aren't here to say why those things aren't working.  So I don't think the full answer is 'be happy with any car that starts' (which I know is not really what's being said) but especially for a first driver, I want them to have a car that has the features when they'll be driving at an age where car accidents are a main cause of death and a safer car can save a life.  So I'll go for Buick w/ the safety features over Jeep Wrangler without them.

My MIL always gets mad that cars today "are plastic." Like yes, they do crumple a little easier, but that's the point. I'll take replacing a car because the front is totaled over lifelong disability because all of that energy transferred into my body and fractured my pelvis. Like I loooved that my Oldsmobile felt so heavy, it was all steel and it felt safe. Objectively, for the time it was built, it was a lot safer than other options. It had airbags in places a lot of other cars didn't. But I know now that the heavy feeling I loved didn't necessarily transfer to safety. I had a low speed accident (25 mph) and my body absorbed all of the impact. Car was basically fine except for needing a new plastic bumper. But thank goodness it wasn't a bigger accident. 

banana468

levioosa said:

banana468 said:

short+sassy said:

banana468 said:

Yeah I totlally rolled my eyes HARD at the kids who got new cars, Corvettes, etc.

My only concern w/ kids and cars is that so many newer cars have great safety features that if you CAN get them, add them.   But I also drive an older minivan and am fine with it.  

Oh, goodness!  Seatbelts were optional in 1970.  But my Chevy Nova had them because my dad saw the wisdom early on.  When my parents bought that car new, they added the seatbelt "upgrade". 

Right? 

But now there are things like side curtain air bags, lane drift alarms and blind spot alarms plus anti lock breaks and all wheel or 4WD.    Some of the above are more negotiable than others.  

My point on that is that I'm not a huge fan of the 'back in my day' answer to most things because the dead people aren't here to say why those things aren't working.  So I don't think the full answer is 'be happy with any car that starts' (which I know is not really what's being said) but especially for a first driver, I want them to have a car that has the features when they'll be driving at an age where car accidents are a main cause of death and a safer car can save a life.  So I'll go for Buick w/ the safety features over Jeep Wrangler without them.

My MIL always gets mad that cars today "are plastic." Like yes, they do crumple a little easier, but that's the point. I'll take replacing a car because the front is totaled over lifelong disability because all of that energy transferred into my body and fractured my pelvis. Like I loooved that my Oldsmobile felt so heavy, it was all steel and it felt safe. Objectively, for the time it was built, it was a lot safer than other options. It had airbags in places a lot of other cars didn't. But I know now that the heavy feeling I loved didn't necessarily transfer to safety. I had a low speed accident (25 mph) and my body absorbed all of the impact. Car was basically fine except for needing a new plastic bumper. But thank goodness it wasn't a bigger accident. 

RIght!  We've learned that it's better for the car to crumple and absorb the force then for YOU to absorb the force.    

short+sassy

levioosa said:

banana468 said:

My MIL always gets mad that cars today "are plastic." Like yes, they do crumple a little easier, but that's the point. I'll take replacing a car because the front is totaled over lifelong disability because all of that energy transferred into my body and fractured my pelvis. Like I loooved that my Oldsmobile felt so heavy, it was all steel and it felt safe. Objectively, for the time it was built, it was a lot safer than other options. It had airbags in places a lot of other cars didn't. But I know now that the heavy feeling I loved didn't necessarily transfer to safety. I had a low speed accident (25 mph) and my body absorbed all of the impact. Car was basically fine except for needing a new plastic bumper. But thank goodness it wasn't a bigger accident. 

Car safety technology is really amazing!

I was in an accident where I hit the side of another car.  I was going about 35MPH.  The entire front of the car was completely smooshed.  But the car cabin was perfectly fine.  My upper body hardly moved because of my seatbelt and the air bag.  The engine was only a few inches off the ground because they are designed to drop, instead of potentially going through the car's cabin.

I felt a little achy and sore for a couple days and there was a friction burn on the side of my thumb from the air bag.  But that was it!  I didn't even bother seeing a doctor.  My car was totaled, but I was fine.  I know I would have been a lot more injured, if it hadn't been for the air bag and (of course!) the seatbelt.

banana468

short+sassy said:

levioosa said:

banana468 said:

My MIL always gets mad that cars today "are plastic." Like yes, they do crumple a little easier, but that's the point. I'll take replacing a car because the front is totaled over lifelong disability because all of that energy transferred into my body and fractured my pelvis. Like I loooved that my Oldsmobile felt so heavy, it was all steel and it felt safe. Objectively, for the time it was built, it was a lot safer than other options. It had airbags in places a lot of other cars didn't. But I know now that the heavy feeling I loved didn't necessarily transfer to safety. I had a low speed accident (25 mph) and my body absorbed all of the impact. Car was basically fine except for needing a new plastic bumper. But thank goodness it wasn't a bigger accident. 

Car safety technology is really amazing!

I was in an accident where I hit the side of another car.  I was going about 35MPH.  The entire front of the car was completely smooshed.  But the car cabin was perfectly fine.  My upper body hardly moved because of my seatbelt and the air bag.  The engine was only a few inches off the ground because they are designed to drop, instead of potentially going through the car's cabin.

I felt a little achy and sore for a couple days and there was a friction burn on the side of my thumb from the air bag.  But that was it!  I didn't even bother seeing a doctor.  My car was totaled, but I was fine.  I know I would have been a lot more injured, if it hadn't been for the air bag and (of course!) the seatbelt.

I like that there's a way to test with the dummy in the car because I would rather the car be smashed than myself.  And as we learned in this country, health insurance isn't free.

levioosa

banana468 said:

short+sassy said:

levioosa said:

banana468 said:

My MIL always gets mad that cars today "are plastic." Like yes, they do crumple a little easier, but that's the point. I'll take replacing a car because the front is totaled over lifelong disability because all of that energy transferred into my body and fractured my pelvis. Like I loooved that my Oldsmobile felt so heavy, it was all steel and it felt safe. Objectively, for the time it was built, it was a lot safer than other options. It had airbags in places a lot of other cars didn't. But I know now that the heavy feeling I loved didn't necessarily transfer to safety. I had a low speed accident (25 mph) and my body absorbed all of the impact. Car was basically fine except for needing a new plastic bumper. But thank goodness it wasn't a bigger accident. 

Car safety technology is really amazing!

I was in an accident where I hit the side of another car.  I was going about 35MPH.  The entire front of the car was completely smooshed.  But the car cabin was perfectly fine.  My upper body hardly moved because of my seatbelt and the air bag.  The engine was only a few inches off the ground because they are designed to drop, instead of potentially going through the car's cabin.

I felt a little achy and sore for a couple days and there was a friction burn on the side of my thumb from the air bag.  But that was it!  I didn't even bother seeing a doctor.  My car was totaled, but I was fine.  I know I would have been a lot more injured, if it hadn't been for the air bag and (of course!) the seatbelt.

I like that there's a way to test with the dummy in the car because I would rather the car be smashed than myself.  And as we learned in this country, health insurance isn't free.

I mean, it wasn't until last year that there was an actual real female crash test dummy, so even our safety tests are woefully lacking. Yay sexism

However dangerous and awful, it is pretty comical to watch the super super old original crash videos from like the 1930s where they fully just drove themselves into walls. 

ILoveBeachMusic

I agree a car needs to have the safety features, but I doubt the teenager was complaining because the car wasn't safe enough. I'm figuring it wasn't the model of car or the color of car they wanted. That is where I think the kid is being a brat and entitled. So seatbelts were about the only safety feature in cars when I started driving (I'm sure we didn't have any airbags). I repeat, I would've been happy with any car my parents would've offered to buy (all of our family cars had seatbelts). I will say I didn't regularly use seatbelts until I met H. He wouldn't start a car until passengers had seatbelts buckled. This was several years before it was mandatory to wear them.

banana468

ILoveBeachMusic said:

I agree a car needs to have the safety features, but I doubt the teenager was complaining because the car wasn't safe enough. I'm figuring it wasn't the model of car or the color of car they wanted. That is where I think the kid is being a brat and entitled. So seatbelts were about the only safety feature in cars when I started driving (I'm sure we didn't have any airbags). I repeat, I would've been happy with any car my parents would've offered to buy (all of our family cars had seatbelts). I will say I didn't regularly use seatbelts until I met H. He wouldn't start a car until passengers had seatbelts buckled. This was several years before it was mandatory to wear them.

FWIW the only thing I'll say to soften my stance in the kid's favor after showing the X Thread to DH is that his assessment as the car enthusiast is that the car is 20 years old and is very much dented.  So this is absolutely a car that's not going to be nearly as safe as one her parents drive if they drive newer vehicles and the dents in the car also imply it's worse for wear. 

I don't think the teen is complaining about the lack of features but the age of the car chosen which contributes to its image.  Kid probably knows hardly anything else other than 'my parents bought me an old car'.  

I'm so glad you regularly use seatbelts now.  It was a battle to get my dad to use one despite being in an accident as a teen when his head went through the windshield.  

ILoveBeachMusic

banana468 said:

ILoveBeachMusic said:

I agree a car needs to have the safety features, but I doubt the teenager was complaining because the car wasn't safe enough. I'm figuring it wasn't the model of car or the color of car they wanted. That is where I think the kid is being a brat and entitled. So seatbelts were about the only safety feature in cars when I started driving (I'm sure we didn't have any airbags). I repeat, I would've been happy with any car my parents would've offered to buy (all of our family cars had seatbelts). I will say I didn't regularly use seatbelts until I met H. He wouldn't start a car until passengers had seatbelts buckled. This was several years before it was mandatory to wear them.

FWIW the only thing I'll say to soften my stance in the kid's favor after showing the X Thread to DH is that his assessment as the car enthusiast is that the car is 20 years old and is very much dented.  So this is absolutely a car that's not going to be nearly as safe as one her parents drive if they drive newer vehicles and the dents in the car also imply it's worse for wear. 

I don't think the teen is complaining about the lack of features but the age of the car chosen which contributes to its image.  Kid probably knows hardly anything else other than 'my parents bought me an old car'.  

I'm so glad you regularly use seatbelts now.  It was a battle to get my dad to use one despite being in an accident as a teen when his head went through the windshield.  

I haven't seen the thread so I have no idea what the car looked like so I will defer to your and your H's opinion. I'm just thinking of some of the kids my sons were in high school with who drove luxury vehicles and expected to get new ones if the trashed the first ones their parents bought them.
  Oh my goodness I would never not wear a seatbelt now and have always worn one for the past 44+ years.