<p>The only semi acceptable reason is if the said school is the arch rival of your own alma mater. I can’t see a Lehigh alum ever placing a Lafayette sticker on their car, or someone from Ohio State putting a Michigan sticker on theirs.</p>
<p>Once you’ve mucked up a car with 2 bumper stickers, what difference does it make to add a third one?</p>
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<p>Well, someone sells these:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.sport-seasons.com/house-divided-license-frame---custom-order-with-your-teams/pamiabkklkpepmkb/product”>http://www.sport-seasons.com/house-divided-license-frame---custom-order-with-your-teams/pamiabkklkpepmkb/product</a></p>
<p>Those are awesome!</p>
<p>I don’t see where the dad says that they’re bumper stickers…he just says stickers, so I thought he meant window stickers. </p>
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<p>where does the dad say that he has 4 kids?</p>
<p>and I doubt it’s because she’s used up all the space on her car. If this child were at an ivy, his school’s sticker would be there.</p>
<p>i promise you this is true. She has a lot of great qualities. She is just very competitive.</p>
<p>I suppose it hasn’t occurred to Mom that she gets to drive a nice, late model car because she’s not spending big bucks at an Ivy? If Son #3 took a merit ride at the state school, she should be thanking HIM!!</p>
<p>Agree that it’s all or none on the stickers and that it says far more about Mom than Son#3’s choice of schools.</p>
<p><<<
i promise you this is true. She has a lot of great qualities. She is just very competitive.</p>
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<p>???</p>
<p>this makes little sense. Who/what is she competing with? Another car? I doubt it. She’s competing with people. Does that mean that she doesn’t tell her social circle where S3 goes to college? Does she lie about it? If she tells, then how does that square with “being competitive”? </p>
<p>Is she competing with people who don’t know her, but just see her car? if so, then she is one strange lady.</p>
<p>Ask her, is being competitive more important than being hurtful? </p>
<p>Sorry, but she is a very small and petty person. Who cares if she has “many great qualities”? If she doesn’t have the quality of treating her children with dignity, then the others don’t matter. </p>
<p>I don’t see any point in belittling the parent. i think he’s wrong – she should put all 3 bumper stickers on the car — but that doesn’t justify all of the mean-spirited and insulting comments directed at her. </p>
<p>I’d add that I have the sticker from my daughter’s alma mater on my car but not my son’s. The reason is simple: when my daughter was accepted and enrolled, the school sent me the sticker… so I put it on my car. My son started at a new college the same year, and asked me why I didn’t have a sticker for his school. I told him it was because the school didn’t send me one, but that if he would get one for me I would be happy to put it on. He never did. Since that time he’s completed a master’s at a somewhat more prestigious public U, but he didn’t give me a sticker for that either. Obviously this is a different situation than the OP’s… I’m not refusing, I’m just not going to extra effort to acquire stickers. But I guess from reading the comments here, all my neighbors must think I hate my son or something… because apparently other people think that the omission of a car sticker reflects negatively on a person’s character. </p>
<p>calmom, my son won’t send me stickers either.</p>
<p>I have a feeling this couple may have deeper problems than this mom and the sticker. </p>
<p>“i promise you this is true. She has a lot of great qualities. She is just very competitive.”</p>
<p>No, she doesn’t. “Competitive”? Her kids’ school achievements are THEIRS, not hers. Does she think parenting is a contest that you win or lose? </p>
<p>Sorry. This is an unattractive way of thinking. I have kids in elite schools, but I didn’t “win” over my friends who have kids at Kansas and Northern Illinois. Everyone’s happy for one another’s kids’ successes, end of subject. </p>
<p>We hear enough on CC about subcultures where you “compete” on where your kids got in. Not impressed. </p>
<p>I am appalled, or shall I say incredulous, that people on THIS forum are basically accusing the OP of making this up. Seriously, are your worlds so sheltered that you don’t see parents favoring one kid over another. For the OP, you’ve made your request and she has chosen to ignore it. I would suggest you do everything you can to support your son, put a sticker on your car, wear that schools paraphernalia. It should be all or none on her car. </p>
<p>partyof5, when a new or new-ish poster comes on with inflammatory or outrageous questions–in this case, one that stirs passions for the son and also brings up the age-old Ivies-or-bust discussions–those of us who have been here a long time often wonder whether the person is for real. </p>
<p>I agree with the “all or none” mode of thinking. Has your wife ever stated why she won’t put the third son’s sticker on her car? I would convince her strongly. I agree with others that on your end, it helps that the sticker is on your car with the other sons’ schools and to go out of your way to wear third sons’ school paraphernalia. </p>
<p>My kids may not care, but I do. In my case, I have D1’s college and 2 grad school decals on my rear window. I also have D2’s university’s decal on the rear window. However, the only kind of decal her school seems to make is the kind that is static and clings to the inside of the window only. My windows are tinted and it is almost impossible to see D2’s school’s decal. This bothers ME. I feel it appears that only care about D1, which is so not true. My D2 could care less but it still bothers me. What I was also able to do is that I also have a smaller decal for my D2’s school within her university and I put that (which is also static and can only go on the inside), in the upper corner of my front windshield. That’s how much I care about that if I am going to bother to put up college decals, that it is all or nothing and that it not appear to emphasize D1 (who happens to have Ivy schools). I still am bummed that D2’s rear window decal is not really noticeable. So, I get asked about D1’s schools all the time, but not the other kid. I’m equally proud of both and that’s why it bothers ME. And that’s why I can’t relate to the OP’s wife’s way of thinking.</p>
<p>Thanks for reminding me. I had cleared off our two cars’ rear windows (of deteriorated HS stickers and old travel sports teams) and was planning on putting on HS and college stickers. Son asked me to hold off until his classmates all knew where they were going (he was in early), so as to not be callous. I agreed, and now here we are in November, and I still haven’t done it :)</p>
<p>For the record, the windows will have son’s college, daughter’s high school, and daughter’s summer art camp decals. Maybe this weekend :)</p>
<p>Calmom–with all due respect, it’s not what the neighbors think that is important; it’s what the family thinks. Obviously, this father is troubled, and he’s pretty sure his son is, too.</p>
<p>I don’t see any analogy to that of you and your son, since it’s clear to both of you that you’d put a sticker on if you had one.</p>
<p>I mean, he asked for advice here. Do you think people should not say what they think?</p>
<p>@sally305 The problem is, I don’t see the question as outrageous. He is a concerned father with a legitimate question. Cynicism can be a good thing, but sometimes it is unnecessary and rude. </p>
<p>The clear solution is to buy a new car. Or perhaps simply break the window, requiring new glass. </p>
<p>In another recent thread the OP talks about his “MY 2DS (who) keep track of their titles for college on readingportfolio.com so they have verified lists for college.” (So where’s #3? And doesn’t this sound like the kids are still in high school?) He also says he is a “college administrator” and a “college financing professional,” but gives advice people here have a hard time believing.</p>
<p>As a parent, I can’t see hurting child like that. I would have a pretty big fight with my spouse over this, and it wouldn’t be just over the decal, it would be her attitude in general to the kid. If she would be so petty over a decal, I am sure she lets her feeling be known to the son all the time. </p>
<p>My father used to have all of our school decal on his car until my younger brother failed out of his nice private and had to transfer to a big state U down south. My father showed his disappoint in my brother through out his life, and it had a lasting effect on my brother.</p>