talk me down

i gotta buy a kid's bike.  they're horrible.  my go-to bike-shop bike brand, kona, is just awful for kids.  the decent kona with the 24" wheels is a thousand fucking dollars.  not doing that.  no fucking way this kid is gonna have a nicer hardtail than me!  and the sub-$500 kona's are nasty.  jesus.  i think the specialized is the way to go, for the love of pete.  it looks like a real bike.  but i don't wanna do it.  fuck.