How You Wish Your Parents Would React

As the great (and highly insightful) Will Smith once said, "parents just don't understand." They don't get why you stay up late at night IMing. They don't get how stressful school can be. And when parents don't understand something, they tend to get mad, or upset, or (the worst possible reaction) disappointed.

But what if we lived in a world where our parents reacted like the rest of our friends do? What if, instead of getting mad, they took a moment to remember what it was like to be a teenager? Sure, our friends aren't responsible for our health and protection, and perhaps having parents who reacted the same way our friends did wouldn't be the best thing for our long-term wellbeing, but it's a fantasy that's worth indulging every now and again. Let's look at a few scenarios:

The Sitch: You got a less-than-desirable grade
Typical parent reaction: "What happened here?! Were you messing around in class? If you didn't understand the material, why didn't you talk to your teacher? This is unacceptable. You're not allowed to watch TV for...ever."
Parental reaction we wish for: "Wow, we're so sorry. We know that teacher is completely ridiculous and puts stuff on the test that was never mentioned in class. Fudgesicles! Why doesn't he prepare you better for the exams? This is totally the teacher's fault."

The Sitch: You're online late at night. And maybe you aren't doing homework. And not because you finished it.
Typical parents reaction: Without knocking, your mom or dad busts into your room and yells, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!" Before you can even explain that you're in the middle of a really intense and smart conversation about the role of irony in contemporary comedy, your parent walks over and hits the power button on your computer, cutting off your conversation and losing the half-an-essay of actual work that you had written a couple of hours earlier and hadn't saved.
Parental reaction we wish for: They see your light on, so they gently knock on the door to see if you're still up. After you say, "come in," they enter and ask if everything is OK. "Yeah, everything's fine. I was just in the middle of a really intense conversation and lost track of time." Your parent says, "Yeah, that happens when you're in the middle of a good chat. Just make sure your work done and get a little bit of sleep tonight!" Smiles are exchanged.

The Sitch: You're upset because you just found out your crush is going out with that super annoying girl from your math class (you know, the one who always criticizes everyone else).
Typical parent reaction: "You shouldn't be worried about dating anyway. You're too young to be interested in that sort of stuff. It's just a distraction from what's really important: school."
Parental reaction we wish for: "Really! Her?! Why?! She's so annoying?! What could he possibly see in her? She doesn't even understand the difference between circumference and diameter! Ugh, so annoying."

The Sitch: You're exhausted from a long week and don't want to help clean the house on the weekend.
Typical parent reaction: "I don't care if you're tired from a full week of school and extracurriculars. You're a part of this family and you have to contribute! And because of that bad attitude, I'm going to put on the most atrocious, annoying music I can find. How about some disco?"
Parents reaction we wish for: "Eh, don't worry about it. Why don't you just chill on the couch while we do some quick cleaning up and then I'll make you some delicious pancakes."

Mmmm...pancakes.

Do your parents overreact when something goes wrong? Or are they understanding?

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