Impact of owning a Ferrari on your kids?

Someone above asked if this was real life… unfortunately it is in some cases. My son is only 9 months old and its something I do worry about for him. In Germany we have a very negative view against people that overspend and show their wealth. It can be seen that you make too much money and are taking advantage of some system somewhere to do so. In some cases it is over looked and in other cases it can have negative social consequences.

For work I am sure to park my car that I drive that day in the garage and take a Q5 for my appointments. We will always have an assortment of cars and I do worry that it could generate negative attention for my son as he grows up.

I think that it will depend on how you treat the matter. If it is approached as if you are humble, fun and open with people about the enjoyment of the cars you may have a better chance with it. Otherwise you'll just be the jerk with too much money and never stand a chance.

 

My daughter starts kindergarten next year and I have been thinking about this issue. I live in a small town and have the 458 and it is the only Ferrari in the county. All of the kids in her daycare love it and when I pick her up in it get a lot of compliments from the other dads that are there picking up their children. It is the mom's that are really weird about it, most of them do not make eye contact with me. I wonder if they will pass whatever feeling they have down to their daughters and it turns out to be a negative thing amongst the girls in school. I am not really worried about the boys though, all young boys think it is the coolest thing there is.

 

not sure what kind of school your son is in but in my school anyone who had a ferrari was cool by default lol. at least no one made fun of them or ridiculed them for being rich, but this was in a very affluent town. You could make him cool by being the dad who gives all the kids rides. just a thought. You're kid will thank you when he's getting laid by the hotter high school girls in another 5-6 years lol.

 

great pics thanks for sharing. cute kid

 

They aren't judging you for your Ferrari, they are judging you for having a preschooler strapped in the front(only) seat right in front of an airbag.

 

I guess just has to not be sensitive if it happens. I went to school with a lot of "rich kids" the only ones I had issues with were the ones that acted entitled all the time. Most of them were not spoiled but a few had new vehicles but not anything crazy. But if a parent had a expensive car that's their car not the kids. I wouldn't worry about it. But what you want and perhaps the kids at school don't need to see your car.

 

Yeah, I have been wondering about this. How do you guys put your kids (in car seats) in your Ferrari? Am I missing something?

My daughter is nearly 4 years old, still in a car seat (reading the rules, you feel like they'll move out of a car seat when they're old enough for the driver's seat), and she loves my Ferrari. But I can't take her out in the car because I have no car seat solution. What am I missing?

PS, the kids in my daughters' private school love my car. The moms love my car. The dads love my car. The staff loves my car. It has been overwhelmingly positive - I always let kids sit in the driver's seat. Makes their day.
EDIT: We take two cars to drop off, me in my car of the day and my wife in the Lexus-kid-hauler.

My $0.02, don't sweat it. I sure as hell don't.

 

I have the passenger airbag deactivated. This can get complicated, and there are some threads about it (it was a big concern for me before I bought my car).

I think 348's and older don't have passenger airbags, and I assume newer cars automatically deactivate the airbags for lighter passengers? So it's probably only those of us in between those models that need to worry.

 

Yea, I thought that was probably it. Or maybe because I was letting her drive.

 

If people are going to "pick on" success, is the alternative to make yourself a failure?

Good question for a kid to think about.


My own reaction to people's reaction to the Ferrari is education.
Surprisingly, people don't like to hear that they could buy a used Ferrari for less than a new Toyota.
Thinking that they're impossible for "real people" to own is their excuse for not having one, themselves.



But I thought this thread would be about whether the kid would get surly if you didn't let him drive it.

 

This - spot on.

 

This was and is a problem with my daughter. She asked me to never come to high school in the 550 to pick her up. She went to a small private school and I can safely say that all of her classmates were in families of 2 working parents with little/no funds for anything beyond essentials. Even now in college, she is grateful of our ability to pay her way to a very expensive university, but humbled by the knowledge that classmates are racking up huge debt (or dropping out due to lack of funds) to do the same, so she feels obligated to work harder to overcome the stigma of being fully funded without having to work a job. She steadfastly pursues her dream of getting finished with university and getting a job and becoming financially independent. Still, she is somewhat embarrassed by coming from some amount of wealth, although we had nothing when she was a kid and bootstrapped our way up to what we now have.

 

I'm afraid this sad story is all too common these days. You want your children to be educated, but how can you do so without exposing them to the relentless indoctrination which promotes this kind of thought.

In my day, success was something to be admired. I would have thought a Dad picking his kid up at school in a fancy car was cool. In fact, I remember having those exact thoughts along with the wish that some day I too could be successful enough to drive a nice car. My family didn't have any real money, but we certainly didn't think those who did were somehow bad.

Damning success is a real shame and those who promote this kind of group-think, from you-know-who on down, are causing long term damage to America. It's a shame.

 

Success isnt a dirty word. Ferrari carries a certain stigma and I break by being a truck driver who drives a Ferrari. But the guy with the Zr1 down the street doesnt get a second thought.
I never go to school in it. So far , no issue with my son thus far

 

Agree with this.

Without getting too P&R, it does seem the "have nots" heavily scorn the "haves."

 

In Texas?

I guess this sort of thing has taken over everywhere.

 

Sometimes the response is totally off the wall. I picked one of my sons up in my 308GTS and later in the week at cub scouts another father says, "so, my son tells me you collect French sports cars." Hmm...

 

Funny.

 

I personally think the only time Ferrari ownership should affect the owners children is; upon the owners passing. Other than that, if you work hard, and provide for your family, you should be able to enjoy the spoils of your efforts.

Too many people these days are trying to be friends with their children and not parents.

 

I had similar thoughts however my son has been around these cars for a number of years and is now if anything less blinded by the sight of a Ferrari also it was important to me that the ownership of these cars was indeed seen as possible to him opposed to when I and I am sure many others here it was someone else who seemed to have the ability to acquire something so special. Namely Thomas Magnum.
He is grounded but at times just needs a nudge to remind him that these are things of privilege and not right and so have to be earned.
As someone mentioned on here we are the parents but also we are the kids of the 70.s and 80’s who are living our dream of owning these incredible toys.
I still get chills 5 years later in ownership when I see that badge on the steering wheel. Very Cool!

 

My comments were not personally directed. More of a general statement. My father was a NYC police officer who worked side jobs to kept food on the table and a roof over the heads of four children.

I have explained to my children that we are were we are (social and financial status) due to the fact my wife and I have worked hard, saved and made sound investments, live below our means and have a plan to care for our family without having to hope SS and other supplements will be there if needed.


Lets teach kids ethics and morals , not like don't buy a home you cant afford, or walk away from your debt responsibilities because others are doing it. To have self respect and give respect where deserved.

We live in socialist SoCal where the norm is to see a new C series benz loaded with a family at a drive up flu shot clinic meant for those who cannot afford proactive medical care. BTW, gotta love the fact most remove the series emblems from the trunk.

Bottom line there are those more fortunate that us, and I have explained this to my children as well. Some have been born into fortune, some have worked hard or harder than I, some have been lucky.

Last there are those who have lost it all, and have come back to make themselves better for it.

It this day and age anyone can make it. Stress the value of hard work, loyalty, ethics, confidence, assertiveness, and achieving goals. The days of 20 years and a gold watch are gone. If you don't make your own way in this world you are going to be a burden to others.

Think the founders of Google, Donald Trump, or others worry as they board their private jets.

 

Here is a lesson I personally learned. When I graduated high school all of my friends were receiving new cars as gifts, not me. As a teen this was upsetting. I learned the value of my gift years later, when I returned home from school with an education paid in full. My friends were laden with student load debt, and driving clunkers.

 

My son and I started a tradition when he was three years old.

Almost every Saturday morning we drive in the Santa Cruz mountains for 1-2 hours and then have breakfast at Alice's.

He loves it.

One morning a few years ago I almost left without him and after I started the car he ran into the garage and wanted me to wait.

He jumped in the car and said: "I love the smell of oil and gasoline in the morning".


I really don't give a crap about what other people think. I care about what values I instill in my son.


Kai