The Parent Trap
Students divulge emotional, touching and humorous insights into their upbringing—and how they’ll raise the next generation.
Students divulge emotional, touching and humorous insights into their upbringing—and how they’ll raise the next generation.
Students divulge emotional, touching and humorous insights intotheir upbringing—and how they'll raise the next generation.
WHAT DON'T YOUR PARENTS UNDERSTAND ABOUT YOU? What I want to dowith my life.
That if I haven't talkedto them in a few days,I'm still OKAY, just abit busy.
I'm not as smart as theythink I am.
That I'm gay.
I lie to them about mydrug use.
All of the pressures thatI have to deal with asa Dartmouth Collegestudent.
My parents are of Asianheritage....They don'tapprove of the values Iuphold due to myAmericanization.
My personal philosophieson life, religion and politics. We never really talkdeeply about anything.It's almost a businessrelationship.
I am not a virgin.
Why I've made somebad choices. (But I don'tunderstand either.)
My choice of English as amajor, my lack of interestin finding a high-payingjob and my choice to bean atheist.
Yes, I could be aninvestment banker if Iwanted to...but NO, IDON'T WANT TO!
That I'm, sadly, not theirlittle girl anymore.
They don't understandthat I've changed a lotsince I've been at college.
That pushing myself tomy limit actually makesme happy.
My sense of humor.
Why I'm not tryingharder to look for a jobafter graduation.
That I really don'tknow what I want todo after college.
Who I am.
That perhaps near thetop of the list of thingsI value in this worldis them.
That I am a growing,independent person whoisn't still 10 years old.
They don't understandthat it feels weird to gohome. In a sense, Dartmouth has become moreof a home to me thanwhere I originally camefrom.
My mother doesn'tunderstand that I amcomfortable not going outto parties all the time.
They should call memore.
That I actually listen towhat they say and appreciate their advice.
My extreme sense ofambition.
That I have becomeless enthusiastic aboutcertain things since highschool.
Why I joined a Greekhouse.
My liberalism.
That any other parentswould die to have me astheir kid.
They may know that Idrink, but I don't thinkthey understand theextent of it.
That I don't know ifbeing in college right nowis the best thing for me.
That I have no clue whatI'm doing.
I'm not as tough andcapable as I put on.
The pleasure I can find inisolation.
I can like women as wellas men.
How much I craveapproval.
My love for reading.
That I am depressed.
Most things.
IF YOU HAVE KIDS SOMEDAY, WHAT WILL YOU DO DIFFERENTLY THAN YOUR PARENTS? Be more chill.
Make religion a moreactive part of life.
I will not force my childto attend religiousservices.
No spanking.
Stay together.
Tell my children that they are beautiful,
Give them more privacy.
Teach my children to befluent in other languagesfrom a young age.
I will be on time to pickup my kids from variousevents, practices, etc.
I will have a strongerfocus on spiritual life andmake sure my childrendon't make money toohigh of a priority ordistraction in their lives.
Allow them to drinkalcohol earlier under mysupervision.
I can only dream of beingas good as my mother.
Take them hiking.
Homeschool them.
I won't be an obsessiveblowhard, that's for sure.
Talk about sex sooner.
Stay married.
Not give so much powerto the oldest sibling.
I'll probably let themhave video games.
I Like most people, I" expect I'll come to realize my parents did moreright than I originallythought.
Less physicalpunishment.
Less athletic pressure.
Nothing.
I won't let them quitpiano.
Not talk on the phoneduring long family cartrips.
Let them have morefreedom. The world is notas dangerous as parentseverywhere think it is.
I will try to be theirfriend, not just anauthority figure.
I won't compare siblings.
Fight less with myhusband when the kidsare watching.
I will not assume thatthey don't understand,notice or know thingsjust because they areyoung.
I will not lie to them.
Establish moreboundaries.
Talk more in depth aboutmaking good choices.
Be an active listener andmake sure that my kidsknow that I am there tosupport them in any waypossible.
I will never assume Iknow what they want.
I hope my parentswill be around to helpraise them!
SAM GRIFFIS "13 Oakton, VirginiaPhysics
LIHN VU '14 Hanoi, VietnamUndecided I
KIDUS EJIGU '12 Washington, D.C.Government
TESSA STREETER '14 Orlando, FloridaBiology & Neuroscience
BILL MERGNER '11 West Caldwell, New JerseyEconomics Math
SHANEL BALLOO '11 Franklin Square, New YorkGovernment
Quotes are not necessarily those of students pictured.
