Having access to reliable transportation is a big deal for teenagers. Many people living in larger cities take it for granted. However, if you live in a smaller town and don’t have your driver’s license, there’s no public transport running late at night, and there are no taxis or Ubers around, you pretty much have to get creative. You might end up relying on your or your friends’ parents to get around.
One anonymous mom, user Bringmetolife, asked the friendly Mumsnet online community for some impartial advice about a disagreement she and some other parents had. She shared how one mom kept picking up their teenagers late at night on weekends while they were out partying, but finally had enough. Now, the author said she’s unwilling to do the same because of how exhausting and inconvenient it is. So, she asked for the internet’s verdict. You’ll find the full story below. Bored Panda has reached out to Bringmetolife for further comment, and we’ll update the article as soon as we hear back from her.
It's natural for parents to want to keep their children safe. So, they might choose to drive them to and from parties by car
Image credits: Getty Images (not the actual photo)
A mom asked the net whether she was unreasonable for not wanting to get up at night to pick up her daughter and her friends after they finish partying
Image credits: Getty Images (not the actual photo)
Image source: bringmetolife
The mom later shared a little bit more context about everything
Being picked up might be convenient for the teenagers, but the adults are the ones sacrificing their rest and time
Image credits: Shane (not the actual photo)
No matter the problem, there are always different ways to solve it. On the record, safety is a major concern if your teenagers go out and stay out until late at night. So, naturally, many parents want to make sure that their kids are safe and get back home in one piece.
That instinct to keep them safe is what drives them to, well, drive long distances in the middle of the night to pick the teens up and then chauffeur them home. If you ever went partying in high school or university, it’s likely that your or your friends’ parents have driven you back at some point.
It’s convenient, safer, and cheaper for the teens. However, there are some downsides, too. Namely, that all of that convenience and cheapness comes at the cost of one determined parent’s time and energy.
Getting up in the middle of the night isn’t something that many people are willing to do after a long, grueling week at work. Of course, having a family means making sacrifices. But if you constantly mess up your sleep, you’ll get less rest, have less energy, you’ll concentrate worse, and your work and relationships will suffer.
So, it’s probably better to pay a bit more for pricy taxis than to constantly sacrifice good sleep and your health. Not only that, but parents can use this opportunity to encourage their kids to be more independent and responsible.
For instance, if the teens plan to go partying, they could pay for the cabs back home themselves. Or they could encourage some of the teenagers to get their driver’s license, so that one of them could be the designated driver for the rest of the group. Of course, there should be absolutely no getting behind the wheel whatsoever if the person has consumed any alcohol. And remember, you don’t need to drink to have fun.
Sleep deprivation is a very serious problem that affects your physical and mental health
Image credits: Getty Images (not the actual photo)
According to the Cleveland Clinic, missing even as little as 1.5 hours of sleep can impact how you feel. This can cause one to develop short-term problems, from a lack of alertness and moodiness to memory problems, and an inability or unwillingness to participate in normal daily activities.
“During periods of sleeplessness, hidden health hazards accumulate that can’t be covered up with concealer or reversed with caffeine. Everything from your cardiovascular system to your immune system feels the impact,” sleep medicine specialist Dr. Nancy Foldvary-Schaefer explains.
Poor sleep means more fatigue, while chronic sleeplessness can lead to mood disorders like depression or anxiety. If you don’t sleep properly, you’re more forgetful, your reaction times suffer, and you can even get blurred vision. You need around 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night, but this number can be greater or smaller depending on the individual. As per Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer, deep sleep allows your brain to clear the toxins that accumulate during your waking hours. Failing to do that can lead to neurodegenerative diseases. One example of this is Alzheimer’s.
On top of all of that, not getting enough sleep means that you’re negatively impacting your immune system, making you more susceptible to falling ill, as well as increasing your recovery time. Meanwhile, you’re also more at risk of developing cardiovascular disease, hormonal issues, and generally being more stressed.
The proverbial cherry (of doom) on top? Sleep deprivation and exhaustion increase your risk of getting into car accidents. Referring to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report, the Cleveland Clinic notes that driving after 20 hours of sleep is like driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% (that’s the legal limit in many US states). Drowsy driving leads to thousands of crashes every year.
What’s your take on the entire situation, dear Pandas? Would you be willing to consistently get up in the middle of the night to bring back your kids and their friends from a club? How would you balance safety and convenience? How do you stay safe on the road at night? Let us know in the comments.
Here's how the internet reacted to the story. Many readers thought the mom wasn't being unreasonable, and they called out the teenagers
A few parents said that they'd pick up the kids just for the element of safety
