Tips You Would Give to Wise Up Mom and Dad
Adults sometimes say teen-agers know--or think they know--everything. Maybe there’s some truth to that statement. Maybe there are some things teen-agers know that nobody else does.
Hot Topics asks, “What lessons about life could you teach your parents?”
“Perfection is unrealistic and dangerous.”
Negar Akhavi, 15, sophomore, Villa Park
“That having a boyfriend is not a crime.”
Cindy Wu, 15, sophomore, Dana Hills
“Gee, there are so many . . . but most important, they should spend more time with their kids.”
Magda Soto, 16, junior, Saddleback
“To stay out of their kids’ business.”
Dashone McAfee, 15, freshman, Cypress
“I would teach them that practicality is an essential part of life, but you can’t neglect dreams because you’ll end up regretting it later.”
Heather Nicolson, 16, junior, Orange
“I’d teach them all the dangers a teen-ager goes through, like school and MTV.”
Mike Nguyen, 17, senior, Ocean View
“Times have changed, and the things they did don’t always happen today. They should try to let their firstborn do more and learn from that and not from their experiences.”
David Miller, 17, senior, Fullerton
“Accept other people; don’t be so ethnocentric.”
Wendy Lee, 15, sophomore, University
“That grades aren’t the only things that count, and that effort and the child are also important.”
Terri Sesay, 15, sophomore, Dana Hills
“Not to point out only or mostly the bad things in a person or situation.”
Julie Riley, 15, sophomore, Villa Park
“I could teach them to be more understanding when I come home late.”
Sam Tu, 16, junior, Saddleback
“To not think that they know everything.”
Ken Dee Altamirano, 17, senior, Cypress
“I would teach them that a good education and hard work will take you to any successful future.”
Marcelo Sandoval, 17, junior, Orange
“Parents should not constantly give their children tasks to do, then say it will take no time, and then give them five more tasks.”
Brian Singer, 16, sophomore, Fullerton
“Teach them to enjoy life more; they stress and worry too much.”
Heather Rowe, 18, senior, Ocean View
“Friends are more important than grades.”
Jane Kuo, 16, junior, University
“That times sometimes do change and that they should understand what their kid is going through. When they were kids, sure they had problems. But I truly believe in the intensity of the problems (of today), especially the constant pressure to go to college and become a lawyer or doctor or something stereotypical like that. Parents should help their kids every once in a while, other than financially.”
Adam Ellis, 17, senior, Dana Hills
“The lessons of life, love, leisure and libidos.”
Jeff Szekeres, 15, sophomore, Villa Park
“Coming from an Asian background, I feel that the parent should be less confining and more lenient with their teen-agers’ social lives and give us more freedom.”
Ton Dang, 17, junior, Saddleback
“To relax and to change with the times.”
Mary Pezzetti, 15, sophomore, Orange
“Times have changed and they should learn to trust us.”
Erin Harty, 18, senior, University
“To think of better excuses than ‘I own this house, that’s why’ and ‘I’m the parent, you’re the child.’ ”
Christy Sangster, 15, sophomore, Dana Hills
“I could teach them to be more understanding of a child’s needs.”
Roger McGinnis, 16, junior, Cypress
“I would teach them how to treat teen-agers and how to talk things out instead of yelling.”
Natalie Valentine, 15, freshman, Orange
“Respect other people despite what their race is.”
Alex Petrushko, 17, senior, University
“That they need to respect our morals and that they also need to help protect our environment, because their generation has mainly contributed to this pollution.”
Karen Cheng, 15, freshman, Dana Hills
Next Week’s Hot Topic: If all of your best friends were willing to be absolutely honest and tell you exactly what they liked about you and what they didn’t like, would you want them to?
Responses gathered by Jessica Hulsey (Cypress), Tina Toochinda (Dana Hills), Kelly St. John (Fullerton), Seema Mehta (Ocean View), Tram Nguyen (Orange), Regina Hoang (Saddleback), Claudine Ko (University) and Juanita Chang (Villa Park).