My dad is turning 36 in April, and quite a few of my friends (I’m 18, for reference) say that he doesn’t “act his age.” By that, they mean he posts a lot on Instagram (especially daily Stories where he vlogs his life, lol), he’s trendy and very open-minded, works out and takes great care of himself so he looks hot, and he’s really into nightlife and partying. He’s also very adventurous and just a fun guy in general. They don’t think it’s a bad thing at all - in fact, they think it’s cool. But it got me wondering: how is a 36-year-old supposed to act? lol

  • My dad was 45 when he had me, yours was 18. I had the opposite experience because my parents were so much older than my friends’ parents. I think that’s the biggest part of what you’re seeing: your dad is just younger than your friends’ dads.

    But to your broader question, there is no way a person is “supposed to act” at a given age, but there are some norms. For instance, a lot of folks who party a lot in their teens and twenties get bored with that at some point. Also, working to earn a living to feed the family often leaves people more with out and preferring something quiet at home to going out with a bunch of people.