she has a nice designer pochette collection...a two year old YSL of mine and fendi i never used....she is dying for a spy....keeps wanting to borrow mine...she also loves my whiskey paddy tote...is it totally indulgent to give her my thrice uese whiskey paddy tote for a bdy gift at that age?
Am I Crazy To Give My 15 Year Old A Paddy
- Thread starter traceyd
- Start date
my mother started giving me handbags ranging around the paddy's price when i was around her age. i was basically thrown into my love for handbags when she bought me a luella aviator tote for christmas when i was fifteen. and i have a paddy hobo now she bought me for christmas this year and i absolutely love it (i'm 16)!
I guess I was never really into bags when I was younger. I think it's kind of bad to just give children what they want when they beg for it. My parents bought me stuff that I wanted on conditions but I never asked for anything really over the top. I mean if your daughter is getting really good grades and you are happy with her behavior then once in a while you should buy her something nice. But by getting her everything she wants might be bad for her.
I think that if you're in that kind of an income bracket and she's already looking at a trust fund, then its not really a big deal, but maybe you'll want to tie it to a goal, i.e. grades or chores or something.
Maybe I'm just old fashioned and well, just plain OLD, but I don't feel a teenager should be indulged with handbags in the $1K plus range. The number of teenagers here (and in other forums) who are being given such expensive bags and clothes instead of being taught to work for them is astonishing! What ever happened to earning what you want and given what you need? Sure my parents spoiled me in small ways and had the money to do it, but the minute I turned 16 my mother said, "It's time to get your working papers!" And the free ride ended there!! They paid for my education while I continued to work. If they saw me saving hard for something I wanted, as a surprise they would kick in the rest of the money, but to just give me something expensive? No way! I had to earn it, or at least part of it. I paid rent while living at home and my Mom gave it all back to me for my first apartment (because I showed her I didn't expect a free ride!) I don't know why so many parents nowadays are indulging their children at such a young age with big ticket items. Maybe with the high divorce rate and so many two income marriages, parents feel inadequate and guilty, and are buying love instead of showing it? Anyway, that's not what we are here to discuss. 
So I guess you know my answer to your poll. A 15 year old with a Paddington is indulgent and just plain wrong!
So I guess you know my answer to your poll. A 15 year old with a Paddington is indulgent and just plain wrong!
I don't see any problem with that at all. I firmly believe in exposing children to and helping them appreciate the nice things in life on what ever level you can afford to do so. If that includes what some would consider a very expensive handbag for a 15 year old - that's your business. You know your own child. And if she is a good kid who is respectful to you and the things you give her - then why not?
Personally, I would not give my own (future) 15 year old daughter such a costly bag. I would prefer to either loan her my own - how often would she really carry such an expensive bag, or ask her to pay for part of it. If she shows that she really wants a bag and is willing to work at an entry level job to fund her own purchase, I would gladly pay half. I feel that such large items should be earned.
That's really indulgent. Ahh, but I don't know, I'm not a parent. But if I've kids, I would want them to earn the things they WANT. I'll give them things they need.
How about having a deal with her, like if she top her class she gets a paddy? Something like that.
(^ Even that is indulgent actually... but you get the idea)
How about having a deal with her, like if she top her class she gets a paddy? Something like that.
(^ Even that is indulgent actually... but you get the idea)
Eskimo said:
I agree that teenagers should concentrate on school and teenage stuff. I just don't think that $1500 bags are "teenage stuff." Sorry...there is just now way to say that without sounding snippy. I am not meaning to. But I disagree with just handing kids that sort of thing. I worked my way through college and law school, and now I can afford some luxury items. When I was a teenager, I carried a backpack.
Roey, I agree with what you said, too. There is a lot of "compensation" going on, and having taught both community college students and private university kids, I can tell you firsthand that there is a serious "entitlement" issue present in today's kids. They "expect" things rather than wanting to work for them. It's very disconcerting.