What Makes a Parent “Cool”?

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As a teen, how many times have you wished for your parents to be cool? Parents, do your kids think the slang you use is “old-fashioned”? Have you given up on being “cool” entirely?

Well parents, it’s not too late to learn something from the 21st-century. And teens, your parents might be cooler than you think. You can trust me as a teen myself (who happens to be one of the coolest out there).

Personally, I have two very doting and fiercely overprotecting parents. They’ve done some very embarrassing stuff in the past, but with no serious harm done. I love hanging with my mom because we’re both foodies. Who cares if we’re a few years (ok, decades) apart in age. When it comes to food, we speak the same language. We also both love touring around, or just lounging at home with chill with a good movie (or five). My dad, on the other hand, is a different kind of cool (that is, when he’s not busy being cringy). He’s our family’s travel-guru, and to a travelholic like myself, that is mega cool.

Still don’t get the gist? Don’t fret, I got a list of things you parents can do to obtain maximum “coolness”. And for you teens, keep scrolling and you’ll find your tips right after a few paragraphs.

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01

Lay Low on the “Teen-Talk”

Some parents think that learning so-called “language-of-teens” can make them a cool parent. But for us teens, that’s the first step to embarrassment-land. Not saying that you have to cut out all the “bro’s”, “yo’s”, and “ayyy’s”. Just that whatever comes out of your mouth stays natural. And if you don’t understand what the heck teen- talk is, no need to Google it. Just having the basics down is enough, so you don’t think about dental hygiene when your kid starts talking about flossing at a party.

02

Tone Down the Dress-Code

If you like wearing biker-jackets and ripped jeans, awesome. If you like something else, great! But wear what you like when you, let’s say, pick up your kid at school. Don’t wear something because you think it’s cool in the teen world. But if you think your kid’s going to crawl into a hole and die when she sees you wearing a piece of garment, check with her first. Who knows, maybe your child’s going to be the person with the clothing advice next time at the store.

03

Let Them Have Some Fun

You’re constantly texting your child, signing her up for billions of classes, and refusing all hangouts possible. Gosh, if I was your kid, I would’ve probably moved to Antarctica. Give your teen a little breathing room. She’s only got these years as a teen, so let her be a lil cray-cray when she can. The party on Friday? Let her go (just be sure you know the chaperones, location, time, and appropriateness). You’ll make the child’s life and your life way easier. But, that doesn’t mean letting them slack off nor neglecting their chores. Let’s say your kid gets a 95% on the math exam, didn’t they just earn a little partying time? But if grades start slipping dramatically, you can throw that cool parent out-the-window and welcome back the strictness (just for a little while, until the grades are back up).

Alright, and for the teens out there who’s too busy envying other moms and dads, I get you. I used to think my parents came from lame-town. I mean, I love my fam but who can forget the cringy moments at graduation, or when my mom sends a search party 24/7. Nevertheless, overprotectiveness and being cool are two separate things. Don’t get what I’m saying? Read on and you’ll be amazed how a boring parent can change into a cool parent in just a few minutes.

XueFei and her mom

01

Don’t Compare

Just like how you hate it when your parents compare you to other kids, don’t compare them to other moms and dads. Your parents shine in their own way, and by comparing, you’ll only see their flaws more and more. The same goes with equating them to your friends. They’re not even in the same age group, so quit thinking that your parents aren’t cool because they don’t do what your friends do. Try blocking out their imperfections, after all, they’re your parents, so they should be just as cool (or even cooler than) you!

02

Find the Silver Lining

So your dad just embarrassed you by saying the worst dad joke ever at your birthday bash. Are you going to ignore him for life? Probably not. Instead of sulking over it, focus your attention on something else. Did he make the birthday dinner that your friends liked so much they went for seconds and thirds? Now that is cool if you ask me.

03

Maybe the Prob Is You

It’s so annoying when you get 100+ messages from your parents. You’re just hanging out with your besties, why can’t they let you live? Hang on, let’s back-track. Did you “forget” to tell you ‘rents where you were going after school? This isn’t called uncool, it’s called worrying. All parents worry, so give them a heads up of the Who, What, When, Where, and all the other details they’ll need to know. By doing that, you won’t be the kid with a billion notifications per hour anymore. Just know that they’ll expect you to do what you said you will or else it’s back to blowing up your phone.

Having said all those tips for both parents and kids, it all goes down to understanding. Bond with each other some more and you’ll soon find out that having/being a cool parent wasn’t that hard after all.

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Photos: XueFei Liu, Pexels, Giphy

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