I did something stupid the other day and forgot to wear sunscreen.
That’s a lie. I just didn’t put any on because I am impervious to the elements. At 24 years of age, you’d think I’d know better. I didn’t. What I did know, however, that as soon as my mother found out, she’d be so disappointed in me.
When I was a kid, my parents knew everything. When I was a teenager, they knew nothing. And now I’m an adult, everything they ‘didn’t know’ is coming back to kick me in the backside.
They tell you to sit up straight, eat your vegetables, drink your milk and do your homework. When you’re a kid, you just did them; parents are parents, and you did what they told you whether you liked it or not. Sure, a small tantrum and some feet stomping here and there might make you look like you were putting up a fight, but in the end, it got you just about as far as the last tanty. Which is nowhere, because as we find out later after a series of excruciatingly embarrassing events, our parents weren’t stupid. They probably laughed at us when they sent us to our rooms.
As we grow into our teens, we find our parents to be increasingly bossy. This could be because we are more capable of doing things for ourselves, and therefore more capable of helping them. It may also be because as teens, we are more capable of doing things for ourselves and therefore must do everything at our own initiative, in our own time, at our own pace and if they don’t like it, tough. I am more inclined to go with scenario ‘B’. They say these years are our discovery years – where we learn the most about ourselves, and the world. On reflection, it is where I learned that my parents were probably right. If they said to do something, it was most likely for my own benefit. Like wearing sunscreen. If they said to not do something, it was probably so I wouldn’t kill myself. Like touching hot things.
I think that the end of our teen years is probably the most important. That’s when everything starts to crumble down and you finally pay attention to the rubbish things your parents said. Things like ‘put money away so you can pay your bills’ and ‘if you drink that much, you’ll throw up’ and ‘don’t speed’ actually seem to have consequences.
Early twenties is when you get to start afresh – it’s like a whole new life. One where mother knows best, and father will slap you around the back of the head if you do anything stupid. For example, I recently got a new piercing in my lip, and the first things Mum said was to keep it clean. Whereas when I told my Dad, he yelled at me - only because he cares a lot, though. This new 20’s life is very similar to childhood, minus the lack of responsibility and fashion faux pas such as MC hammer pants and mullets (FYI, these are some of the rare parental decisions that should be ignored. Forever. And always). And just like when you were growing, you are again asking your parents for advice and hoping that they’ll fix whatever problem you have in front of you. It’s all a bit of a déjà vu, really.
When we are kids, we want to grow up to be like Mummy and Daddy. When we are teens, we could never do enough to escape them. Now that we’re adults, we admire them and it’d be okay if we were as good to our kids as they were to us. Except for that time Mum gave my boyfriend the sex talk, and Dad danced the twist at my 18th. Embarrassing at whatever age.
