Parent to Parent: Son does the work; should money go to car or college. | Parenting
Q: We are doing a spring cleaning in our house and have boxes of toys that our son used when he was younger. We even have a few from my husband and myself when we were kids. We’ve always donated our items, but our son who is now 16 has been researching how much these toys might be if we sold them on eBay, Etsy, etc. If we do agree to let him do this, we decided that all of it would go into his college fund. However, he would like some of it to be put toward a car. What would be the best way to teach him the value of money in this situation and should we let him have a part of it for a car?
From a reader • We bought our firstborn a car and he never appreciated it. The next two kids worked and saved their money and bought their own cars. Those two took care of their cars and were grateful that we helped to pay their insurance. We learned the hard way that it turns out much better if kids work and save for the bigger priced things that they want. It teaches them to appreciate what they have. I’d say yes, let him have a portion for a car and have him keep saving for the rest. — Jack P. in Dallas
From Jodie Lynn • Your son is definitely right; many older (vintage) toys can potentially be worth quite a bit, especially if they were wildly popular when they were first made.
My niece has been selling vintage toys on Etsy for many years and it’s amazing how much money she makes. It is quite time-consuming to research each item as well as doing all of the cleaning, pricing and shipping.
