WTF is this person's problem!?

[conuly]

DEAR HARRIETTE: I've been feeling concerned about my teenage daughter lately. She's started spending time with a new group of friends who are really into extreme sports like skateboarding and parkour. This is a big shift from the activities we've always encouraged, such as volunteering and participating in community events. Last night she mentioned planning a parkour session at an old factory, and it made me uneasy. I'm worried about the risks involved and how this new interest might pull her away from the values we've worked hard to instill. I know that today's generation seems to have different sensitivities compared to ours, and I'm reluctant to simply forbid her from pursuing her interests. I want to discuss my concerns with her, but I'm not sure how to approach the conversation without pushing her away. How can I express my worries while remaining supportive and keeping our lines of communication open? -- Concerned Parent

DEAR CONCERNED PARENT: Rather than forbidding her from these activities, learn about them alongside her. Encourage your daughter to use the proper safety gear and to be careful. Telling her she can't do something would likely lead to her doing it without informing you. I recommend supporting her exploration of these sports with caution while also remembering community service. Participate in volunteer opportunities as a family while encouraging her to tell you about her extreme sports activities.

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[mrissa]

I would love to hear more about the different sensitivities compared to ours, I am very "chin in my hands, bucket of popcorn" about what that could possibly mean about [checks notes] skateboarding. I'm 46, I'm roughly the age people who have a teenager are, older than some and younger than others. Did every middle-aged person not have friends and acquaintances they cheerfully and non-derisively described as "skate punks"? I feel like skate punks are now eternal. When I drive past a skate park and there are teenagers there, my reaction is, "awwwww!" What sensitivities do da yoots have that are different from this?

[full_metal_ox]

Precisely: Tony Hawk(1) is now old enough to qualify for some senior discounts. LW reminds me of this earlier LW fretting about their “hippie” niece: their concept of New (And Unfamiliar, And Therefore Scary!) Youth Subculture is running on a couple generations’ delay. (Before you know it, skateboarding and parkour will lead to…rock and roll!)

https://agonyaunt.dreamwidth.org/728205.html

(1) Who has done a fair amount of charitable work of his own, including endowing
skateparks to give kids a place to do something more wholesome than gangbanging, in a designated environment constructed for the purpose.