London - If you want to be one of the “cool” parents, it might pay to brush up on your text speak – and learn how to cook perfect roast potatoes.
These are just two of the skills that make parents cool, according to a survey of 1 000 of the British nation’s teenagers.
Never kissing your children in public and looking good in jeans also made the list, as did knowing the words to current pop songs and having a “cool car”.
But the research also showed that when it comes to parenting skills, teenagers value being allowed to learn from their mistakes, as well as parents liking their friends. Being interested in their social life was cited as important by one in three teenagers.
According to the poll, there are also some important “no-nos” for parents – including not going through their phone, not telling them what to wear and not kissing them or holding their hand in public.
In the battle of the sexes, 38 percent of those surveyed said mum was cooler, as opposed to the 28 percent who voted for dad. Nearly four out of five teens said their parents were embarrassing, making them cringe an average of four times a month.
But despite the embarrassment, a loving 96 percent claimed they enjoyed spending time with their parents.
The top three things that make a parent cool, according to the study commissioned by Currys PC World, were: Respecting children’s privacy: 47 percent, listening well: 46 percent and looking after you when you’re sick: 43 percent.
Daily Mail