Entitlement

I saw it countless times during my years as a high school counselor. A student would turn sixteen and get their drivers license. Shortly thereafter they would be driving to school in a new or "gently used" car or suv that fit their image. A few weeks later I would see that same vehicle in the school parking lot with one or more damaged fenders or bumpers. A month or so later I would be at a school function and hear the student's parents complaining about how their car insurance had gone "through the roof because of a ticket their child had received."

The above is but one example of entitlement. A teenager turns sixteen and they feel they are entitled to a drivers license. Then they are entitled to a car of their own, one that fits their image. The reality is, not all sixteen year olds should be driving a motor vehicle. A drivers license is not something you are "entitled" to. It's a privilege that should be earned.

Barb and I have gone through it. All three of our kids went through driving school, and got their licenses. We had two "kid cars" over the years. The first one was a brown Ford Granada that the kids called the "Turbo Turd." As I recall it had about 75,000 miles when we bought it and lasted until well past 150,000. Aside from a minor fender bender, I don't recall any other incidents, or tickets. Our kids were allowed to drive because we felt they were mature enough and could handle the responsibility.

Entitlement is a real issue today, not just with teens but with adults too. We feel we are owed something just because of who we are. In the case of any sixteen year old who longs for that license and first car: That should be mom and dad's decision based on their son's/daughter's level of maturity. Unfortunately the same child who wins the table over the $1.00 candy bar in the store check-out line often wins the battle in the car showroom too.