My oldest is 16 and got his driver's license a couple of months ago. He either leaves his license in the car he drives or he puts it in the front pocket of his pants. He doesn't regularly carry cash, but when he does he also crumples that in the front pocket of his pants. I am thinking he needs a wallet, but I don't know what types of wallets teenage boys like these days or whether there is something else they use to carry money, licenses, etc. Any ideas? He is older than most of his friends and one of the first to get his license so I don't know how other boys are handling this. He also wears athletic style pants, not jeans or khakis (unless he has to dress up), so he usually has only front pockets and not back pockets. So how do your teenage boys carry around their stuff? I'd like to get him something for Christmas if I can find out what boys prefer.
Thank you; these are all good suggestions that I will check out. He wears athletic pants for comfort and personal preference reasons. Has since about 2nd grade. His friends give him a hard time about it and that hasn't changed his mind so I doubt anything I do or say will change his wardrobe (maybe a girl someday?). He wears Dockers when he needs to for band, church and special occassions so that's all that matters to me right now.
He needs an athletic wallet. My nephew has one of Hesse. He always wears athletic shorts or pants.. He is now a senior in high school.
http://www.bigskinny.net/wallets-for-sports.html
Or go to the local sports shops and see what they sell
Does he play any video games, like Halo or any of those? If he does, places like Gamestop or other big video game stores sell wallets with some kind of emblem on them from one of the popular games. Or websites like thinkgeek.com have wallets.
This next part is maybe off the subject a little, but important, I think, to consider when you have a new driver and a child who is becoming more independent and will be soon working or thinking about college in the next few years:
Make a good photocopy (or two) of his license, car registration and car insurance cards, and keep one in a safe place at home (make sure he just doesn't pile it with other stuff on his desk - you should keep this copy with other records in your home) and another in the glove compartment of the car. Shoving a license in the front pocket of pants is a good way to lose it, and having a copy will make things easier in case of loss. It was amazing to me how many of my son's friends just knew their parents paid for insurance, but had now idea what insurance company they used or how much it cost. Making photocopies of this stuff is a good way to teach your child awareness of the costs of driving.
When my son started getting jobs, driving, etc., I bought him an accordion-style folder and we labeled the pockets: car-related documents for license and registration and insurance or records of any repairs or purchases like new tires; pay stubs or W2s; school records and SAT and ACT records; and a pocket for things we wanted to remember when it came time to either apply for jobs or colleges or scholarships (any awards, or letters of recommendation, or records of school activities like athletic events or drama productions or music groups, volunteer activities, anything that mentions your child or that would be helpful to add on a resume or application some day). He's 24 now and still keeps a similar folder.
I've carried one of these for years. It's a man's leather ID holder with a magnetic money clip (I don't like the tension clips). http://www.amazon.com/MENS-MAGNETIC-MONEY-WALLET-DESIGNSK...
Even when I carry my purse, I use this as my ID/Money holder. I can leave my purse and slip it easily into a pocket. I can fit my driver's license, military ID, insurance card (mine is plastic), and a debit/credit card in it.
Today's kids have so much info carried on their cell phones that they don't need much in the way of wallets! My son (23) now uses a typical man's wallet to hold a couple of credit/debit cards, his license, a few business cards, and what little cash he carries. (He still uses a debit card to charge a $1 pack of gum!). When he was in high school, he had a very thin wallet designed just to hold a license, a school ID and maybe one or two other items. It's not leather - I think most are denim or something similar - and it's very very flat. He might like that since it's not bulky. I think a lot of kids rebel at the traditional wallet in the teen years but they definitely need something.
There are also some cell phone holders that have enough room to include a license and a school ID.
I think he needs to get used to carrying it with him - he will soon be getting carded (!) if not for lottery tickets then at least the movies for R-rated films. It's going to be more embarrassing and more of a hassle if he has to go back to the car to dig for it. Tell him it's part of being responsible enough to drive the car.
At colleges, a lot of kids carried the room key and their school ID on a lanyard around the neck. Again, those small flat wallets worked. If your son doesn't like that idea, maybe you can find a key ring that has the wallet attached. He's carrying the keys with him, isn't he? So maybe you can connect the two items, literally and figuratively!
ETA: Here's a good photo I found on line. This is for a company that sells them in packs of 100, so don't be put off by the price! You can find them at office supply and stationery/card stores, plus any store that sells wallets. If he has a favorite sports team, you might see if they have one with the team logo. Or suggest them as a fundraiser for the athletic booster association! http://www.theexecutiveadvertising.com/Promotional-Bi-Fol...
What about one of those card holder wallets that has a money clip on the front.
Personally, I hate carrying around more than I need. When I was in college I started carrying what I've always called an "ID Case." Might be what our bookstore called them. Anyway, it looked just like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Clava-ID-Keychain-Wallet-Burgundy/d...
I love it! It's very thin. I keep my drivers license, debit card, credit card and minimal cash. It fits easily in my back pocket or front pocket. It's light.
I teach college classes, and most of the students carry something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Amico-Leather-Badge-Vertical-Holder...
I guess it's harder to lose? Not sure if they wear them around their neck or put them in their bag or pocket, because when I see them it's usually sitting on the table.
Can't help you, I guess. My son is 14, and he carries a leather bi-fold wallet. He only started carrying it with any regularity this year. But he does not wear athletic clothes around... he wears jeans or shorts (usually with cargo pockets and back button pockets). His school requires him to have a student ID on his person at all times when he is on school grounds, and he just shoves that in his pocket, with the lanyard hanging out, usually (doesn't wear it around his neck).
Is there a reason he prefers the athletic pants? Maybe this would be a reason to encourage him to wear something different/more functional for his needs.
my boys are 10 & 12 and carry wallets.
my friend's son who is 14 - has a wallet that hooks to him....I think it's a sports wallet - it's made of a spandex like material...
Check sporting goods stores. They have things for athletes and for outdoorsmen who need to carry their I.D., fishing licenses, etc.
