Do As I Say, Not As I Did

I tell my kid to make smart choices, but let’s be real—I once rode in the trunk of a borrowed car because there weren’t enough seats. And I can barely stand the hypocrisy when I warn her to “Make good decisions.”  Meanwhile, I once woke up in a field with alcohol poisoning at 15. Or when I repeat “Don’t talk to strangers,” yet teenage me thought hitchhiking to a party was a solid transportation plan.  

Honestly, it’s a miracle we survived. We were raised in a world where helmets were optional, seat belts were a suggestion, and “staying out of trouble” just meant not getting caught. If you called home from the police station, you weren’t worried about the law—you were terrified of your parents’ reaction.

But were we actually wilder, or has the landscape just changed? 

Back then, we had freedom, but we also had fewer eyes on us. No social media to document our bad decisions, no GPS tracking to alert our parents that we were not where we said we’d be.  Meanwhile, our version of “parental tracking” was the local community telephone tree. Today, our kids live in a world where every misstep is broadcast, screens replace street smarts, and a bad choice can follow them forever. In fact, a recent survey found that 80% of parents check their children’s location, with 54% doing so frequently (allaboutcookies.org, January 2025).

Back in the day, teenage rebellion was a rite of passage—sneaking out, skipping school, maybe the occasional piercing or haircut. Today, we make mountains out of molehills over what used to be simple coming-of-age experiences. So yeah, I tell my kid not to do the things I did. Because I said so. But also because, unlike me, she wouldn’t get away with it. 

And let’s be honest—that’s probably for the best. But then again… what if the joke’s on us? What if today’s kids have just leveled up, running an elaborate con on parents worldwide? Maybe all their compliance is just next-gen trickery. 

 

Janet Smith is a proud mom of one daughter and a marketing professional who is grateful for her rural roots in the London area. Follow Janet’s funny and honest journey at IG & TT | @re.marketable.janet or FB | @janetsiddallsmith