You always knew your parents were different, from the type of music they preferred to the way they dressed. It was normal to be surrounded by artist friends drinking craft beer or fair-trade coffee. When you were younger, you never realized there was actually a title for your parent’s lifestyle. But now you are in the know.
Here are some dead giveaways that you were raised by hipster parents:
1. Your main mode of transportation was a bicycle
Even when your family had a perfectly functional car, most destinations were reached by being strapped to the back of one of your parent’s bikes. Your house was always filled with bumper stickers that supported biking coalitions…and instead of getting a car for your 16th birthday you got a 3-speed.
At least it had a nice horn.
2. You listened to music that none of your friends’ parents did
There was a constant stream of obscure bands playing in your house at all times. Forget listening to pop or rock music–your parents would never be caught dead with any of those mainstream artists.
Instead, music in your home was like listening to the indie radio station.
3. You lived in a gentrifying neighborhood
The neighborhood you grew up in was labeled as questionable and known for its high rate of crime. After your family moved there, the place went through rapid changes–including the rise of a whole slew of new coffee shops and bars.
4. Your parents got ecstatic when a new Trader Joe’s opened up
The exact day is stamped into your mind, when your parents found out that a Trader Joe’s was the newest addition to your neighborhood. Bring on all the wasabi-flavored snacks and frozen potstickers.
5. Your parents had unique professions
Maybe your mother was a part-time florist and an artist on the side. Your father managed a coffee shop, but practiced with his band at night. The friends from school had parents with jobs like lawyer or doctor, but your parents wouldn’t be caught dead in a “regular profession.”
“Do what you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life,” they would say.
6. You spent a lot of time at the local coffee shop
Lazy Sunday afternoons would consist of bringing a book to a nearby cafe and drinking a hot chocolate (or lemonade if the weather was hot), while your parents drank their coffee and read novels.
You started drinking coffee at a very, very young age.
7. Your father had facial hair. A lot of it.
You can’t remember a time when your dad wasn’t sporting a mustache or beard (or both). He was already a part of Movemeber, even before it existed.
8. You have a unique name
Forget those common names like Sarah or Ethan; your parents made sure that you had a one-of-a-kind moniker. Maybe Dawn or Sunshine, Dakota or Spirit.
Or your name is most likely from a pop culture reference, as your parents thought it would be cool to have the only kid in the world with such a unique name. Mainly, though, it was an easy way to be made fun of in school.
9. You always had Apple products in your house
Apple products were always abundant. Everyone else had PCs, but you had the Macintosh. As a consequence, you currently possess an iPhone, an iPad and a MacBook and refuse to buy any other brand for your electronics.
10. You always wore stylish accessories
Since you can remember, your parents made you wear great looking hats, like a slouch beanie or a fedora. You weren’t allowed to leave the house without some type of jewelry–mostly hand made, of course.
And they never forgot the sunglasses. Neither do you.
Featured photo credit: Flickr via flickr.com
