Do your parents wish they were Millennials? Are your parents actually successful at being Millennials? Having cool parents is usually a good thing, but sometimes you’re left wishing they could just be lame like everyone else’s parents. Having a dad who eats, sleeps and breathes golf is easier than a dad who eats, sleeps and breathes electronic dance music.
Smartphones and the Internet have made it a lot easier for older people to keep up with the latest trends. Parents are cool again, but it’s important that we remind them of the boundaries that still exists as a father or mother of another human with his/her own reputation. The following are some dos and don’ts for living with parents who just want to be young again. I recommend sitting down with your parents and talking through some of these topics.
Arts and Entertainment
Do:
Share music with your parents and invite them to music festivals with you. Believe it or not, your parents have a lot more experience in this department than you do. Getting drunk with your dad and watching him mosh is life changing.
Don’t:
Let your parents go to EDC unless they are police officers. EDC is not a place for your creepy old dad to hang out while teenage girls run around naked. Honestly, nobody should go to EDC for any reason.
Social Media
Do:
Follow your parents and interact with them on social media. The days of hiding your Myspace account from your parents is over. Sending your mom a snap is painless, and watching her use Snapchat filters is hilarious.
Don’t:
Let your parents on Tinder, especially if they’re still married. I don’t think I need to get into the details on this one. Tinder is off limits no matter how hip your folks are.
Fashion
Do:
Get matching tattoos with your parents. Tattoos are socially acceptable now, and if your parents really want to be Millennials, they’re going to feel left out if they aren’t inked yet. Getting a tattoo with a parent is liberating. It’s like having a beer with your priest or casually using the f-word with an old high school teacher.
Don’t:
All old people fashion rules still apply here. No skinny jeans, frosted tips, tank tops, Oakley sunglasses, tight shirts, etc. Fedoras and Crocs are okay.
Politics
Do:
Disown your parents if they voted for Gary Johnson. Consider an intervention if they voted for Bernie. Parents are supposed to be there to tell you “you’ll be a conservative when you grow up and have a real job.”
Don’t:
Let your parents say condescending things to you like “you’ll be a conservative when you grow up and have a real job.” You’re a Millennial and they envy everything about you, especially your woke, liberal political views.