Well, if we're trading anecdotes, several kids I know whose parents paid for their car, paid for college, etc. did not value these contributions and drove reckl

Well, if we're trading anecdotes, several kids I know whose parents paid for their car, paid for college, etc. did not value these contributions and drove recklessly and wrecked their car, did poorly in school and dropped out, etc. Not being able to pay when faced with a large expense is one thing; most parents would help out if their child was in that situation. Not valuing the expense is definitely another, and it's a difficult lesson to learn later in life.