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Dad reveals most brutal text messages sent by teenagers

No matter how hard you try to be a relaxed parent, teenagers always find something that mortifies them, and they'll let you know pretty quickly.

Chip Leighton, 52, shared some of the funny text messages parents have recently received from their teens, including “Don’t say croissant in public” and “When my friends come over, don’t do anything weird like make cookies.”

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The reel, which has been viewed more than 2.5 million times, is part of Leighton's popular series (@the_leighton_show) and a current Instagram trend where parents share screenshots of teens' text messages, often highlighting their children's unique perspectives and quirks.

Teenage daughter embarrassed by her parent on the couch. Dad Chip Leighton gets comments from other parents in reaction to his family comedy.

Liudmila Chernetska

“I started out posting texts and quotes from my own family, but it turns out most families have a lot in common, and I get a lot of comments like, ‘Wait a minute, you stole my phone? Because that looks like my kids’ texts!’” Leighton said. News week.

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“The reaction on social media has been pretty crazy,” he added.

Other text messages parents received included “Can you tell dad to stop using wink emojis in his text messages” and “Don't check your blind spot when my friends are in the seat back”.

Parents around the world have commented on Leighton's video with some of the things their children have said to them.

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An Instagram user shared that after dropping her daughter off at a birthday party, she rolled down her window to say “Happy Birthday” to the girl. “My teenage daughter explained to me with great dismay that I should never wish her friends happy birthday through a window.”

Another said: “My 15 year old son asked me today if you can still sunbathe when it's windy. (It was 80 degrees and sunny today). »

“My 18-year-old fills out a medical form: ‘Am I my own guardian?’” another asked.

Leighton, who started her career in content creation by sharing the funny and crazy things her kids said on social media, said Newsweek his children usually glare at him or shake their heads when he is recognized in public.

“When I left my corporate job last year, my daughter started affectionately calling me the ‘middle-aged unemployed Tik Tok,’” he joked.

After some suggestions from his disciples that he should write a book, What time is noon? was published in November 2024. It is a collection of hilarious texts from teenagers, as well as “stories from my family and a lot of other reporting,” Leighton said.

In response to the post “Don't check your blind spot when my friends are in the backseat,” Leighton captioned the reel: They call it a blind spot for a reason.

Do you have a family-related video or story to share? Let us know via [email protected] and your story could be featured on Newsweek.