A TikTok user, @alexrjsmithh, divided the internet with a short video about how some parents can be strict about seemingly trivial things while being lenient about things other parents would typically consider serious. “Oh, you wanna go smoke with your friends at a park at midnight?” the user said, mimicking the parents.
“Okay, that’s fine.” The user then contrasted that statement with, “Did you just leave the light on in your room? Turn it off. What is wrong with you?” At the time of publication, the video had garnered more than 180,000 likes and more than 200 comments.
“This is good parenting idc what you say,” one user wrote, adding that the user's parents were actually being strict about the right things. Another user shared their experience with a strict parent.
“[My mom] caught me smoking and kicked me out of the house at 16 and wouldn’t let me come home,” the user wrote. “So I was literally homeless and barely made it through school. But she would regularly buy me alcohol. I look back on it now like what the actual f…”
Another user said it seemed reasonable for parents to tell their children to turn off the lights while allowing them to have vices. “Idk sounds like parents are teaching you competence at an early age since pretty much everyone becomes a functional member of society with some form of high functioning addiction: drinking/smoking before after work, taking care of kids, keeping a house etc while still having a vice,” the user wrote. “Seems like parents that want you to be able to explore and do substances safely but still be competent adults.”
“Tbh sounds good parenting, live your life but maintain structure,” a third user chimed in. Several other users shared sentiments similar to those of the original uploader, writing that their parents were okay with them having piercings but would object to other seemingly trivial things. “can smoke (not thrilled), can dye hair, can get piercings, can get tattoos. draws the line at keeping snakes tho,” one user wrote. Another user said they were allowed to have piercings and tattoos but were not allowed to go on trips.
“Not being out until 9:00, and im not allowed to go to trips with school outside the country like Erasmus or 4-day trips,” the user said. Another user shared a similar experience, writing, “Like wdym you just encouraged me to drink as a 15 yo but you don’t want me to get a job.”
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify TikTok creator @alexrjsmithh's account, which was shared in the video.
