Are you crazy? I don't care if I'm alone on this side, I vote "no"! That guitar is much, much too gorgeous to give up for this occasion. He gets it when you DIE. That's the right occasion for letting that guitar out of your cold, dead hands.
I didn't read through to the end. Maybe you've already given it up. I still vote no. :tiger:
Cougs,
I've been holding back on hitting the post button because I have some personal things to say here. I hope this doesn't offend... I'm giving you a serious, honest reply to your post because I totally understand that point of view and it makes me sad...
My perception of kids these days is that they entitled, selfish, and very loose with their moral codes (read that as lack of self-respect). It's also true that their respect for their elders is nigh non-existent. It's really disgusting. Meanwhile, they live their lives inundated with distractions and constantly in touch with hundreds of people at a time on one level or another. I think this is, in large part, why those problems exist.
It's a very different world from when I was a kid, Cougs. But, this is the world we are giving them and we have no one but ourselves to point fingers at. That fact bothers me on a daily basis.
As parents, it's our responsibility to try to steer our kids in the right direction. I'm not talking about generalities anymore, I'm talking about my / your children. Every kid is different, right, but this act of generosity is the seed of change which addresses the kinds of problems this generation faces. Some kids might be so lost that they wouldn't truly appreciate it (and learn from it), but I'm certain that dread's kid will be a better adult as a result of this.
I guess my parting thought on this subject is this... While giving treasured things to young kids is problematical, I think that as they become adults the opposite is true.