When parents turn BFFs

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Teenagers these days are way smarter than what their parents were at their age. They can cope with issues better, are more informed and seem to know exactly what they want with life. Keeping in step with their kids, the parents too have made some major changes in their outlook and teenagers no longer feel awkward discussing their boyfriends or girlfriends with their parents.
With no one looking over their shoulders, what was once taboo has now become the norm.
Says 19-year-old Maanvi Mirakur, “Mom really is my best buddy. Talking to dad is a distant thought, he’d go mad. But with mom it was simpler. I was scared initially when I told her about how I started dating. She guessed when my BF started visiting the house more often than my other guy friends. I expected a lecture, but what I got was a reminder not to go overboard and to know my limits. She said it is high time that I started to make my own decisions. She was very cool about it.”
It is understandable that teenagers would prefer confiding in their mothers, but a few dads are cool enough to “understand” their children’s issues.
Not the strictest of men, Rakesh’s dad explained to his young son, “Don’t worry about dating, take it slow.” The 19-year-old said, “Dad and I are more like friends. I approached him to confess how I had haplessly taken a shine to this girl I knew. We had an open talk unlike the preachy father-to-son. He was rather cool and sorted out my muddled-up mind.”
What took him off guard, however, was what happened when he met his girlfriend’s father.
“I was invited over for dinner and her dad looked at me and said... do whatever it is that you teenagers do, but be careful. Don’t regret your decisions later, so be on guard. This was a shocker. No guy wants to be talked to so openly by his girlfriend’s dad.”
Mustafa Sabir, 17, student of Hinduja College, has been dating for the last four years. He says that if he is having a bad day in his relationship, his parents are the first to know.
”Though I confide in both my mom and dad, they are very cool about it. I’ve been told that dating is healthy, but I ought not to commit to anything too early. I never had a father to son talk, but my folks know that I’m mature for my age. Having older friends was always an issue for my mom.”
He further adds, “If I ever came back with strange marks on my body, my mom would get worried and want to know what happened. I was asked to take things slow. Otherwise it is calm and I feel great that I am open about my relationship.”