Parents Bought Teens a ‘Shared’ Car for Christmas, but Only 1 Sibling Gets to Use It

A teenager turned to Reddit for advice after wondering whether it was wrong to ask for another Christmas present when the one they received didn’t actually help them.

In their post, the teen explained that their parents bought a 2015 Ford Taurus as a Christmas gift meant to be shared between them and their 17-year-old sister. While the purchase was intended to solve ongoing transportation problems, the teen said the reality felt far from equal.

Before November, the siblings had been sharing their mother’s car. But once she started a new job, both were largely forced to rely on the bus. The new car was supposed to fix that issue.

However, the teen said their school schedule made things complicated. They are enrolled in dual-enrollment classes on a different campus than their sister. On “A days,” they attend classes in the morning, return to their home school for band, and then work an evening shift from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

On “B days,” the schedule is even tighter, with morning classes followed by a commute back to their home school and then a walk to work for a 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. shift. The teen noted that they have been walking to work since their junior year due to a lack of transportation.

By contrast, their sister’s schedule makes her the primary user of the car. She has earlier school hours and longer work shifts located farther from home. According to the teen, their sister’s job is about 12 miles away, meaning she needs the car more often. “Because her school and work schedule are different from mine, she will have the car whenever she needs it,” the teen wrote.

Even when school resumes fully, the teen said their access to the vehicle won’t improve. They explained that school rules and the lack of a parking pass mean they might only be able to use the car occasionally, if at all. “The car was supposed to be for both of us, but in reality, it’s mostly useful to my sister,” they said.

When the teen tried to express their frustration to their parents, the conversation didn’t go well. They were told their parents had saved up for a car for both siblings and expected them to be happy about it. The teen admitted they were struggling to feel grateful for a gift they couldn’t realistically use.

Adding to the disappointment, the car was the only Christmas present either sibling received. “I don’t see the point of being happy about something I can’t actually use,” the teen wrote, before asking whether it would be reasonable to receive something else instead.

Their parents appeared hurt by the request and suggested waiting until school started again to see how things worked out. That response left the teen wondering if they had crossed a line.

In the comments, some Reddit users pushed back, encouraging the teen to advocate for a more balanced arrangement. Several suggested setting up an alternating schedule so both siblings could use the car fairly.

“So your sister and you were both managing without a car before this Christmas gift?” one commenter wrote. “Can’t you each manage while it is the other’s turn to have the car? Alternate days or weeks? Is there something that prevents that type of sharing?”