Things Kids Should Know About Parents

Every generation of kids seems to think their parents exist solely to make their lives difficult. Granted, there are some parents who really shouldn't be parents; but most parents make the grade, or their kids probably wouldn't be living with them. (I realize there are exceptions to this, but for the purposes of this article, that's my position.) I've been an adult for what feels like an eternity, but I still remember what it was like to be a kid, and I know what it's like to have a crappy home-life. Kids who come from broken homes are entitled to bitch about their situations; kids who don't know how good they have it, are not. Sorry, but them's the rules. The following are topics I've heard teens gripe about on a routine basis and I just want to clear a few things up for those who might be confused as to what parents actually are, and what they're supposed to do:

1. Parents are just people.

And people are imperfect. People make stupid mistakes, people have poor judgment at times, people get stressed, people say things they don't mean, people do things they later regret. All people are guilty of these things to some degree at some point in their lives. You've probably done something stupid at some point, and you probably learned from it. Well, parents are the same. They make mistakes and, hopefully, learn from them.

2. Parents weren't always parents.

Even if your mother and father were super ecstatic the moment they learned of your existence -- they were also scared to bits at some point, and possibly still are at times. Parenting isn't inherently easy; they have to learn as they go along. Yes, some learn faster than others, but surely there are subjects you excel in, and those you don't? What matters is whether or not they're trying. If they are, you've got to cut them some slack at times.

3. Parents make sacrifices you can't begin to imagine.

Few parents spend money on anything trivial without first calculating their overall expenses to be sure there'll be enough money for all the little things their kids don't need. Yes, you read that right -- most parents will make sure you've got those silly $100 sneakers before they so much as buy themselves a new pair of underwear. I don't say this to make you feel bad about owning your expensive shoes; I've no doubt your parents want you to have them. I say this to make you feel guilty about constantly wanting more and more and more without ever wondering if your parents wouldn't like to buy something for themselves once in awhile.

4. Your parents are not virgins.

I don't know why so many teenagers think their parents are clueless about the birds and the bees, but if that were really the case, y'all wouldn't be here. Therefore, you're only fooling yourself when you pretend that mom and dad don't have a good reason for not allowing you to spend the night at some college frat house in the city. They were just like you once, and your grandparents were just like them.

5. Your parents weren't always boring.

15 years ago, your parents were probably the life of the party. They went to clubs, parties and listened to good music. They wore hip clothes and knew how to have a good time. Once you were born, a lot of that hedonism was exchanged for big responsibility, to make sure you had the best upbringing you could get.