Bored Panda
79 Times Kids Realized Their Parents Were Cooler Than Them
CuriositiesOCT 4, 2017

79 Times Kids Realized Their Parents Were Cooler Than Them

485
73
A lot of us are obsessed with vintage stuff nowadays, from clothes to music to generally wishing we had grown up in the 60s. We often forget, however, that our dear old parents were the ones who started all those trends we now admire.
Internet users are now sharing photos of their parents when they were young and hip, and it's pretty much safe to say that they were about a hundred times cooler than us. Maybe it was all the psychedelic rock, Mustangs, and mullets. Maybe it was the fact that, as one user commented, they "played outside and didn't have memes." Either way, the days of peace and love certainly look a lot more blissful than where we're at now.
Of course, how parents treated their children mattered just as much as how cool they looked. In many families, one child was quietly placed on a pedestal, a pattern now recognized as the golden child dynamic.
Scroll down to take a walk back in time, and if you've got photos of your parents looking too cool for school, add them to our list.

#1 My Mother Skateboarding Barefoot In California In 1974

Black and white photo of woman skateboarding barefoot on the road
511points

#2 I Found A Photo Of My Dad Cooking A Barbecue On Top Of A Moving Submarine

Vintage photo of men barbecuing on a boat showing parents cooler leisure time
499points

#3 My Dad Sculpting A Bust Of My Mom 1980s

Retro skiing photo of shirtless man performing jump on snowy mountain
498points

#4 A Friend Of My Father's, Telling Off A Klan Member. Auburn AL, 1985

Vintage image of men in Ku Klux Klan robes and a boy referencing parents cooler history
Report
496points

#5 My Dad Being Infinitely Cooler Than I'll Ever Be (1980)

Man riding a rearing horse in front of a parked classic car
486points

#6 My Dad, Taken For Surfer Magazine. Peru, 1977

Man surfing large ocean wave showing cool parent
483points

#7 Late 1960's, My Dad

Black and white image of bare-footed man sitting on a motorcycle outdoors
476points

#8 My Mom In Moscow 1975. From All The Stories She's Told Me About Her Travels, I Wouldn't Be Surprised If She Was A Spy

Woman in leather coat standing by classic car with cathedral backdrop
388points

#9 My Dad's First Car, A 1939 Ford. He Bought It With His Own Money That He Earned Farming (And Drove It Daily). He Was 11 When He Bought It, So This Photo Was Taken In 1948

Black and white photo of boy leaning against a classic car with hands in pockets
Report
386points

#10 My Dad Wasn't Famous, But His Moves Were Pretty Cool (1977)

Kid balancing in a handstand on a skateboard on a suburban street showing cool skateboard skills
386points

#11 My Dad In Saudi Arabia In The 70's Working As A US Military Contractor Diving In The Red Sea

Man dressed in vintage diving suit holding helmet outdoors
Report
367points

#12 My Dad In The 70's Doing What He Loves. Father To 4 Boys. More Man Than Myth Or Legend

Black and white photo of man cautiously facing cheetah in wilderness
351points

#13 My Dad Teaching Math In Southern California (Late 70's/Early 80's)

Teacher playfully interacting with students in a classroom
345points

#14 My Moms Selfie Before It Was Cool (1989)

Smiling person taking mirror selfie in striped top showing cool parent
341points

#15 My Mom And Dad On Their Wedding Day - 1980

Man in shorts standing barefoot next to vintage maroon Mustang car
330points

#16 My Mom When She Lived In Alaska With Her Husky Puppy, Okie

Woman holding puppy sitting on vintage Toyota jeep showing cool parent
329points

#17 Mom's 'Garden' 1980's

Woman standing next to tall plants holding small dog
313points

#18 Me Looking Up To My Fighter Pilot Dad In The Late 1980's

Vintage photo of a boy and his dad in leather jackets showing parents cooler than kids
312points

#19 So I Was Going Through Some Old Photos And I Found This. My Dad Holding Magic Johnson And Looking Incredibly Bad-Ass While Doing It

Vintage photo of two men, one lifting the other, in a park capturing parents cooler friendship
310points

#20 My Mom Working At Nasa, 1974

Woman sitting on chair in office setting with patterned blouse
307points
485
73