Adults seem to have the strangest priorities when you’re a teenager. All those lists & alarms for stuff you didn’t even know existed. That is, until you grow up. We spoke to some people, and here are eleven things they thought were absurd as teens, but necessary as adults. Recognize any of these?
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Scheduling trash and recycling with phone alerts
Some adults schedule trash day with reminders. But not simply “take the trash out.” They’ll include which bin & what color, as well as whether or not it’s bulk pickup week. They might even set two reminders in case they forget the first one. Yet most teens figure that garbage day is obvious. You walk outside & see everyone’s cans out, but, apparently, that’s too risky. Teens don’t get it.
Watching electricity rates and contract end dates
There are some people who can tell you exactly what they’re paying per kilowatt-hour today. They’ll keep a close eye on when their fixed rate expires. But the teen version of them never even looked at the bill since the lights came on, end of story. The idea of paying such close attention to electricity rates seemed silly back then. Oh, how things change.
Labeling the circuit breaker panel and mapping circuits
It’s normal as a teen to think of breaker boxes as a bunch of switches for when the power goes out. But nope. Most adults have spent some time figuring out which one runs the fridge & labeling it in Sharpie. Some even make a chart. That’s rather strange to teens, who think that flipping random switches is way more exciting.
Building a home binder for records and receipts
A part of growing up involves realizing you can’t just keep important stuff in a drawer. Nope. You’re better off with an actual binder with dividers & labels. Maybe even a little table of contents. Whether it’s passports or car titles, insurance papers or medical documents, you need to keep them filed. But teens think sticking them in a drawer is enough.
Cooking by thermometer and timing the rest
It’s not enough that the chicken looks done. As an adult, you realize you need to use a probe to check it’s at 165°F, and then wait for it to rest. Many teens believe cooking involves just heating the food until it looks edible. Yeah right. There’s a lot more science & patience to it, which teens probably didn’t cook with.
Managing credit cards by closing dates and bonuses
So many adults have spreadsheets showing which card to use for gas & groceries. They’ll have some for streaming subscriptions, too. They pay these off on weird dates for credit score purposes. But teenagers usually swipe whatever card’s in their wallets, if they have one. Points and rewards? Closing dates? That feels like homework.
Flipping the mattress on a schedule
Every few months, some people actually pull all the bedding off. They’ll heave the mattress around & spin it before putting everything back. A few will vacuum it before making the bed again. That sounds pretty weird to most teens, who probably never even noticed their mattress exists unless it sagged. Seriously.
Defrosting the freezer before it ices over
You’re supposed to unplug every so often & let it defrost. As you’re doing it, you should put the frozen food in coolers and scrape the frost off the walls. Why? Because it stops it from icing over, which makes it work better. Teen logic sees things differently. The freezer’s cold, so leave it alone, because it’s doing its job.
Pre-rinsing dishes for the dishwasher
You’d think putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher would be the whole point. However, the majority of adults know that you should still rinse & scrub each one before loading it. It helps the dishwasher run better. Most teens are too lazy to do this. They’d rather shove the plate in and trust the buttons to handle the rest. Even if that means running it a few times.
Setting the thermostat a degree higher or lower
Many adults argue over one degree on the thermostat like it’s life or death. The thermostat stays at the “right” number. Feeling cold? Put on socks. Hot? Open a window. But don’t mess with that temperature. The teen version is simple, though, because they think you should just turn it up if you want it warmer or down if you want it cooler. How naive they are.
Keeping a separate set of guest towels
A lot of homes have towels in a closet. They’ll stay untouched until guests arrive & they match perfectly while smelling like they’ve never been used. Of course, it’s a different story for regular towels. But teenagers rarely see the point. As long as the towels are clean & dry, they’re fine.
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