“My parents are so strict!”

“They never let me do anything!”

“I can’t wait to get away from them!”

I had these thoughts, too. I think everyone does at some point in their lives. But I accepted the fact I had strict parents, I respected their rules, and I listened — at least for most of the time. It certainly paid off because of the relationship I have with them now.

I haven’t always considered my parents the “cool parents,” but when you have a Snap streak with your mom, your dad can’t stop dabbing in public, and they join a kickboxing club together... it might hit you in the face that your parents aren’t so bad after all.

I sometimes think about what my life would be like if my parents weren’t as cool as they are, but then I just picture a world that I don't want.

One of the best benefits is that you always have a friend to listen. You can tell them pretty much anything and they will be honest — sometimes too honest — but at least you know they will never lie to you. They also have no one else to tell, so you don’t have to worry about other people finding out about your pointless drama.

Your parents are also chill enough that your house is usually the house for hangouts. It's a plus for you because you never have to get up, get ready, or drive anywhere. In addition to being the go-to house, your friends always want to talk to your parents. Every time I have friends over, I hear, "Your dad is so funny," at least five times. I know he's funny, but I don't laugh anymore because I hear the same comments/jokes too often.

The family group message is full of memes, gifs, and Bitmojis. My sister and I get a mixture of all three, and half the time, they don’t even make sense.

Once your dad finds out how to send gifs, block his number.

They also know everything going on in your life. They know what makes you happy, when things are going on, or simply when you are having a bad day. In high school, my mom was the one who called me out of class on bad days because she knew I needed to re-group. I definitely got turned down a few times when I asked to be called out, but overall when I needed it, she got me.

You don’t have to watch your swearing around them — I just have to watch it around other people, because when it slips, you get the death glare from your mom, but at home, she's just used to it.

You couldn’t lie to them even if you tried. My parents know me too well and would know something is up. Plus the guilt would kill me because why lie to people who do everything for you?

They let me add whatever I wanted to the grocery list. Gushers are usually my go-to. Let’s be real though, with cool parents you never have to worry about your chocolate cravings, your sweet tooth, or finding a snack, because there is ALWAYS junk food in the house and our pantry is always loaded.

You can make jokes that are weird around other parents but to yours, they just laugh and act normal. Plus, your parents make weird jokes right back. Every now and then they could get a little uncomfortable, but I learned to just play it off and not bring it up again.

They are happy when you get C’s and D’s on tests because you didn’t fail. No doubt they would be happier with A’s, but as my dad always says, “C’s get degrees!”

Having cool parents means more than the fun stuff. They also have always been my biggest supporters, my #1 fans, push me to do my best, and continue to shape me into the person I am becoming. Nothing is cooler than knowing you are everything because of them. I can't thank my parents enough.