A woman named Taylor Drayton — who goes by Tee — recently asked people on Facebook to share the "unserious" generational curse they are breaking:
After she shared that she throws out stained Tupperware and opens more than one cereal box at a time, thousands of people started flooding the comments to share their own...
Like this person allows her kids to take personal days off from school — and lets them stay home when they aren't feeling well.
This person doesn't make her son finish his meal before he can have dessert:
And this person allows her son to drink while eating:
This person actually uses their dishwasher:
This person doesn't get upset over stained clothes:
This person lets their family take naps whenever:
This person doesn't need to save something "just in case" they need it one day in the future:
This person allows their kids to whistle whenever they want:
This person doesn't shame their kid if they don't eat their meal at a restaurant — and they also don't force them to take the leftovers home:
This person let their daughter create her own self-care routine whenever she asked:
This person buys name brand when they want and also doesn't starve themselves because it's not "meal time":
This person believes in individualized social expression:
And this person has a long list of reasons why her daughter can just "be":
BuzzFeed spoke to Tee who said she practices conscious parenting. "I am very adamant about undoing things that myself and other millennials have had to experience. I post a lot of controversial questions that are specific to families and the parent/child dynamic," she said.
And Tee said she strives to bring awareness to "taboo topics" or topics that aren't often discussed. "I think it’s important to have conversations about the 'unserious' generational things that are passed down because it helps to shine a light on our successes. What one person may deem as unserious, the next may not. It’s subjective. So having these conversations creates dialogue and in turn fosters better communication between the parent and child and or the family."
Christal shared that the "unserious" generational curse she is breaking is that she doesn't save every plastic bag she brings home and does not have a ton of them balled up for reuse.
And this person shared that they don't save every reusable food container as Tupperware:
This person WILL change the thermostat whenever they want:
And this person doesn't ban her kid from red nail polish:
This person is okay with their kid being grouchy in the morning:
And this person lets their kids get fast food even if they have food at home:
This person takes action to get rid of items instead of finding "organized" ways to keep clutter:
This person leaves packets of sauce at fast food joints and doesn't bother bringing them home:
And this person takes the time to consider what their kids want for dinner instead of just making something:
"As a Black person, there are literally so many practices I grew up seeing that are widely a part of Black culture. And it's been this unspoken rule to just accept it and go along with it — sort of an 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' mentality. But as I've developed and grown in adulthood, especially through many years of therapy and unlearning certain behaviors, I've finally come to a place where I can make my own decisions about my life based on what works best for me," Christal told BuzzFeed.
Christal said the topic of "unserious" generational curses is one of many that has bonded the Black community. "You'll often see in comment sections 'we are living the same life' because our upbringings have so many similarities. This post reminded me that I have a choice in how I do things, even if my choice isn't widely accepted. Knowing how we've evolved as a community, I was curious to know what other choices people are making today," she added.
"In no way do I ever minimize the struggles Black people have faced, especially as an American. We still experience so much injustice, prejudice, and racism that has shaped some very serious customs that have been passed down through the generations. That being said, talking about 'unserious' generational things adds some much-needed comedic relief to our stories. Imagine spending your whole life thinking you have to keep marinara-stained Tupperware containers because you've never seen them thrown away. And then, one day you just throw them away and buy some new ones and you feel like a better adult lol. It's silly and satisfying and we need more of that. Moreover, although these things are 'unserious,' it doesn't mean that they are unimportant. We have to continue doing the work to explore our freedoms in every facet. It's a mindset thing," she said.