akhotd…aitah (am I the asshole)

[GriffWoody]

Aitah in this situation?  Son turned 16 yesterday.  We are shopping for him a car.  I told him, if he wants a car he must have a job.  He’s on board, wife is not.  She said we are harming his education by him working 2-3 days per week.  Aitah for requiring him to have a job if he wants a car?

By the way, to his credit, he starts his first job at chikfila tomorrow.

[Top Row Dawg]

With you, make sure does his homework though and pleases wife with grades. Work is a good education too.

[dncdawg]

Not in my opinion. If he doesn't have a job, he'll just use the car more often to drive around and meet up with friends in his free time, not drive to the library.

You are giving him a real world education, but make his grades a stipulation in access to the car.

[Smokindawg]

Urtah. Has nothing to do with this situation tho.

[FeralDawg]

Got almight damn, SMOKE. You a stone cold killer.

[Smokindawg]

Got almight damn, SMOKE. You a stone cold killer.
[/quote]

Griff know im just fockin with him.   Seriously i didn't have a job til i was like 21 and look at how i turned out!

[Shadrach]

Nah, high school is a great time to teach the value of an education, vocational or collegiate. It shows kids what it's like to be 24 and relegated to low wage jobs because of a lack of marketable skills. It also teaches discipline in holding a job and coordinating that with homework.

If a kid can't manage a job and homework? Hmmmmm.

He's gonna learn hard work at CFA. They always busy. Good for him.

[GriffWoody]

Thanks for the feedback. Was totally expecting Smokin to step up with the comment. LOL

[McDonoughDawg]

Get a haircut and get a real job.

[ToccoaDog]

Agree with Shadrach, part time job in high school helps with time management and discipline. Also gives the young man some walking around money and pride of accomplishment. Also helps teach value of spending money, because he now knows what it takes to get it.

[Rogasingingdawg]

You are the responsible parent in this scenario, IMHO.

[redpantsdawg]

I worked every Friday-Sunday, spring break, and summers as a teenager.  I missed countless after school activities and events like the Friday night lights, basketball, and baseball games.  I didn't have a job in college as I was taking more than a full load to graduate early to relieve some of the financial pressure my educational cost put on the family.  There wasn't the Hope Scholarship back then and debt wasn't an option.  I've worked every day since graduation except 8 days in between graduation and starting my first job (not counting holidays and vacation days). 

I put my family in a position where my children didn't have to work when they were in school.  Their job was school.  To get the Hope Scholarship and the grades to get into college so they could excel.  And maintain those grades to keep the scholarship.  But if they weren't in school (summer) they were required to work.  Never once did we have a problem with their work ethic or grades.  They turned out just fine.

Looking back, I realize there is plenty of time in life to work and events like football games, etc. only come around once.  I didn't need a job to teach me work ethic, time management or be self disciplined.  Now, I'm upper middle aged and I'm completely burned out of working.  I'm more than done with the constant do more with less and bureaucratic bullshit of Corporate America.  I hope the good Lord will bless me with longevity to make it a few more years where I can retire comfortably and not have to work.  I find it insulting that the politicians like to blame people like me for what's wrong with the country.  Just my 2 cents.....

[Punkin14]

You’re doing God’s and a Dad’s work Griff. Nothing in this world is wrong with work, the alternative.. a lot.
Both of my girls were year round swimmers, in the pool post school four hours a day.. but they had to have a summer/weekend jobs for me to pay for their cars.

[JC-DAWG83]

I always made better grades whenever I had a job, HS and college. A job teaches time management and it also teaches responsibility and how to prioritize. My father never gave me a penny of spending money and I had to buy my own car. Having a job when in school is almost always a positive.

[GriffWoody]

I see what you are saying, and this isn’t a “need to work” scenario.  It is about being responsible, learning time management, learning to work, and learning to appreciate the value of money and the need to work for it.  In short, it is my attempt to stem any sense of entitlement.

Regardless, thank you for your input.