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30 Coolest Answers To “What Perks Did You Enjoy As A Kid Because Of Your Parents’ Job?” From A Viral Twitter Thread
Interview With Author
Memories of being a kid often involve enjoying quality time with your parents. Often really taking advantage of something that they do. Not everyone’s parents were ice cream parlor owners and getting spoiled with unlimited ice cream was not necessarily an option, or working for NASA and making sure their kids get to marvel at rocket launches; somehow, even then, little things such as bringing used printer paper to draw on remained engraved in one's memory as the most fun thing ever.
Scott Cunningham, @causalinf on Twitter, calling himself an economist working on a cure for baldness that involves linear regression and wine, asked “What perks did you enjoy as a kid bc of your parents' jobs?“ The community delivered: the post received over 11.8K quote hits alone and nearly 7K likes. Take a look at the best ones and vote for your favorite ones!
More info: Twitter
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#1
JennyLaRue 4 years ago
What a great deal, and brings to mind the saying "if you don't ask, you don't get"
Bored Panda got in touch with the man behind the curious and wholesome question transporting everyone to their childhood. Scott, who is a professor in the economics department at Baylor University, is a compulsive consumer and producer of social media content, and has been basically his entire adult life. “I tweet at @causalinf and mostly interact with other economists and social scientists. I recently published a book called 'Causal Inference: the Mixtape' with Yale University Press and in my day job, write about the field of applied econometrics, particularly sex work, drug policy, and mental healthcare, as well as occasionally topics in crime and abortion policy. I have three kids and am married, one neurotic dog, and two little kittens.” He loves Ted Lasso, HBO, rap music, and laughing with friends and family.
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#2
Theater Kid 4 years ago
This is the best one so far. I love ice cream way too much for my own good.
HooowlAtTheMoon 4 years ago
Were you the coolest kid in school because of this? I feel like everyone would want to be your friend.
K Witmer 4 years ago
My mom owned an ice cream parlor when I was little. I got to play the 45s at the birthday parties, grind the Heath bars, make whipped cream and wait on customers that wanted ice cream cones al from 6-10 yrs old. The people that owned the Chinese food place two doors down were my babysitters when I wanted a change of scenery after school instead of the ice cream parlor. So much fun. All the Chinese food and ice cream I could eat plus I learned from people about their culture and how to speak Cantonese
Donna Rakowiecki 4 years ago
So you're basically saying your dad stole excessively from the company all the time
“That tweet shows how random the internet can be. I write stuff like that almost daily as a way to just engage with people on Twitter, never really giving any of it any thought. I am a very nostalgic person is all. I grew up in a small town in Mississippi called Brookhaven and just have nothing but extreme fondness for the childhood I had. And so as a result, I occasionally talk to people on Twitter about childhood. I love hearing other people’s stories, and love sharing stories of my own.”
#3
Parmeisan 4 years ago
My mom would bring home extra carbon copy paper, which was also really cool. (For anyone too young: black paper, if you laid it between two sheets of regular paper then anything you drew on the first sheet would get copied to the second.)
Samantha Lomb 4 years ago
Was it the kind with the perforated feed ribbons on the side? Those were great for paper jewlery
Bettie-Jean Neal 4 years ago
My friend's dad brought home the 11 x 17 computer paper that was white and pale green striped. We'd cut it up into squares and make flip books out of it. So much fun!
Candace Alagappan 4 years ago
Same!!! So much better that wasting the paper or using plain blank ones y'know...
Omi bub 4 years ago
My uncle did this & I remember thinking that my cousins had the best life ever because of this.
Fluffy Griffin 4 years ago
My dad brought home used paper too (computer drafting teacher). I currently have a hard time using clean (unused) printer paper for frivolous stuff lol.
JitkaBlitka 4 years ago
We got that too! Completely blank paper was onIy for the best pictures to give to grandmas and aunts
#4
Sarah 4 years ago
She is so impressive on The Equalizer. That show is awesome, and I'm a fairly picky critic. I wonder if she's as good-hearted a person as she comes across as being? My guess is definitely yes.
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Zadie the Swiftie 4 years ago
now I'm looking up concert industry jobs in the hope I can meet Taylor Swift XD
“The other day it occurred to me that as a kid, there’s all these little things you got from your parents you never really even had thought about before,” shared Scott. “Everyone has a story like it, even if not exactly it, and I was curious what my friends and others might share.” He also added that “People engage in work first to survive, second to accumulate wealth, and maybe then to provide various 'perks' to their kids. But perks occur anyway because we live in such close proximity to our parents' lives. And sometimes we experience spillovers from their jobs, even though parents weren’t necessarily choosing it.”
#5
Cheri Aline Sydney 4 years ago
Father / Son time, sharing conversation, or even just quiet time together, keeping each other company, is a "perk".... also a blessing!
Jose Ortiz 4 years ago
I think you missed it. He gained knowledge that's the perk
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#6
Samantha Ashley Kricker 4 years ago
Me too my friend! Those were some good times. My dad flew for continental and retired in 2000
PandaMonium 4 years ago
My Dad designed computer software for United Airlines. I saw so much of the country growing up because of those flight benefits and will always be thankful to my parents for taking advantage of those perks.
Stannous Flouride 4 years ago
Sadly, airline deregulation destroyed the level of respect that was once given to pilots. Today they frequently compare themselves to bus drivers.
Cher Jongerius 4 years ago
As a former airline pilot I can say that's very true. Not much benefits and no big paycheck anymore for most pilots.
Load More Replies... Theater Kid 4 years ago
Wow. I didn't know you could get all that. Time to force my parents to become airline captains.
Amelia Bedelia 4 years ago
My mom worked for America West back in the day. We'd fly to San Diego or Vegas, hang out for a few hours, and fly back. It was great.
Huddo's sister 3 years ago
A friend's father works for airlines stocking the food and drink. He brought home mini bottles of alcohol.
Martha Higgins 4 years ago
Delta employee here, it was a lot more fun in the 70s and 80s than it is now.
Scott didn’t expect the tweet to go viral as he has been on Twitter for many years and nothing he has written before has gone totally crazy with likes and quote tweets. “This one was weird because it was this huge ratio of quote tweets to everything else caused not by anger, but by a desire to share similar though distinct stories about the gifts their parents inadvertently gave them as simply a function of growing up around them and their jobs. I never thought that was such a generally interesting thing, but it clearly is, probably because we aren’t always sharing those details with others. I actually don’t think I’d ever talked to anyone about those computer games and Coke machines before, not even to my wife, maybe not even to my parents, but man, was it special to me then and really even special to me still.” But the worst thing about Scott's success with his viral post is that he has no clue how to reproduce that. “They say in statistics 'with enough trials, anything that can happen will happen.' Meaning even rare probabilities will materialize with enough time and repeated effort. Well, I’ve tweeted way over 100,000 times, I bet, and one of them can go viral, theoretically, so eventually one did. I expect another one will when I hit 500,000!”
#7
Terri Johnson 4 years ago
I've seen the lovely creations at Harrods. The cakes looked like exquisite porcelain sculptures. You have to see to believe them - you were fortunate to have had your grandfather's confections! IMG_201805...ce6ce9.jpg 
Demongrrrrl 4 years ago
I worked at Harrods for 6 months and I always got lost in the Food Halls.
#8
John C 4 years ago
I'm trying real hard to figure out what this pic has to do with late library books...
TheDutchGinger 4 years ago
I was wondering the same.. Maybe if your books are late,Pablo escobar's ghost will come and hunt you. Until you bring the books back to the library?
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Nadine Debard 4 years ago
So was my mother. I could wander in the library after closing, take as many books as I wanted for as long as I wanted, even if I managed to return them quickly in the case some people would want to read them. I spent half of my life in this library. Such beautiful memories.
#9
TheReader19 4 years ago
Nuff respect to your mum for doing what she needed to do to keep the roof over your heads
#10
Kristin Ingersoll 4 years ago
That is a very familiar story! My dad was a prof. I used to draw on those computer cards all the tine. And half in-state tuition. Graduated with no student loans. So lucky.
Don't Look 4 years ago
My dad bought a computer from Damark (old catalogue store) back in the late 80s. Packard Bell. He knew back then that we would need to be literate so he enrolled us in computer club (which was all Apple) and he paid tons of money for this computer. And in the 90s he started bringing home computers from work that they considered outdated and were throwing out. I was the youngest person I knew who even knew how to use a windows computer (DOS-SHELL). He paid attention and that took me far in life.
#11
#12
TheReader19 4 years ago
Love this one, dream of travelling on the Orient Express; but with their prices it may only ever be a dream
Suzanne Haigh 4 years ago
I think with the prices they charge the dream would become a nightmare
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Aileen Grist 4 years ago
Backin the 1960s my dad worked for British Rail. We went to Oostende (Belgium) and Cattolica (Italy) by train. I had my 10th birthday in Italy, Switzer;amd amd Framce. Good times
#13
Ryan Deschanel 4 years ago
"Here is the left kidney... here is a saphire... Here is the liver... Here is argillite...
Pumpkin Spice 4 years ago
"here is the bladder...Here is some turquoise...Here is the heart...here is some moonstone..."
Load More Replies... HooowlAtTheMoon 4 years ago
My dad likes to pick up a rock from every hike we go on, then we put it in our rock tumbler so we can see how pretty it gets. It's really surprising and cool.
#14
pseudosapien 4 years ago
Same. Spent the first 7 years of my life in Japan, lived the rest in Hawaii. Best years ever.
J 4 years ago
Just got back from Hawaii. My son is stationed there and man that is the best place to be sent!
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Grumble O'Pug 4 years ago
Yup! I know that! The pool, school, friends, movies and all the fun stuff like the BX were all just a bike ride away.
MsKestrela 4 years ago
Mine too...plus the added perk of living half my life overseas. Those were the really good times! Private schools, private clubs, chauffeured rides to both, friends in and from all over the world, plus being multilingual from an early age.
J 4 years ago (edited)
My Dad worked as Transit Control and before that as an Aircraft Electrician on Air Force Bases and generally preferred the 2nd shift. I thought it was normal to go out on the flight lines with him or various guys that worked with him and get in the various military aircraft from C130s to A37s. Got to meet Fred Haise when he flew home for his Mothers Birthday in a NASA T38. Basically had the run of the roost. This was back in the 70's and Times were very different them. Fast forward, i went Army and managed to bring my son out on tank live fire ranges and such so I guess I got to pass the torch.
#15
KnownAsJetty 4 years ago
what type of tape, like duct-tape or masking tape
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Luna Rue Mystic Enchantments 4 years ago
My Father worked at 3M and I can confirm that all sorts of 3M products were gifted for birthdays, Easter, Halloween, and Christmas.
JennyLaRue 4 years ago
Thats the kind of thing you will only appreciate when you have to start buying for yourself as an adult
Leslie Gully 4 years ago
This is still my life! My dad worked at 3M for 30+ years...even though he has since passed away, my mom still gets to go to the "3M store" so it is a gift bag full of Post-its and command hooks every Christmas!
Horatio Jay 4 years ago (edited)
OMG, I'd love to stick things to other things with varying adhesive strengths (and possibly multi-sidedness) :) :) :) I might even stick all of my remote controls together, for convenience's sake. That sounds convenient.
Sar-kei Scyence 4 years ago
1 of 2 : It’s either experimental or not. 2 of 2 TAPE! WTAF, where is the toy or chocolates, hell I’ll take the tangerine over tape!
#16
#17
TheReader19 4 years ago
Am I the only one who thinks having a psychiatrist as a parent could actually lead to problems?
Stephanie IV 4 years ago
Between hot pancakes and 24/7 therapy, all *my* problems would be solved.
#18
Mario Gonzalez 4 years ago
We don't use those anymore in my area. We do use restraints, however. And they are a perk if the patient truly needs them.
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#19
M O'Connell 4 years ago
My office had all the fluorescent light fixtures retrofitted to take LED tubes, which meant removing the old ballasts. I have a mountain of white, black, red, blue and yellow wire which is very fun to make things out of. I call this piece "Swamp Creatures in Love"
topher stanley 4 years ago
my grandfather worked for Southwestern Bell (ATT) and SAME!! i had SOOO much wire!
#20
Philly Bob Squires 4 years ago
My father also worked for NASA but back in the early 60's and we got to see a lot of the weather satellites launch, got to tour the GE, Westinghouse & Lockheed facilities etc. Traveled a bit too!
Isabel Care 4 years ago
My mum was Head of Languages at a comprehensive. We were all unpaid child labour. Lots of sorting and collating copies. First 2 weeks of Summer holiday were spent in the book cupboard repairing text books. The last week was spent carrying the books to the right classrooms.
Miss Frankfurter 4 years ago
I truly hope you did not to see the Challenger go up. After that I would have never watched another one.
#21
Lynn Morello 4 years ago
There wasn't much that mum didn't make, She rarely threw out old clothes, She would make dresses and petticoats for ladies and suits and shirts for men, she would keep the scrap material to make things for us kids. When my sister and then myself got married, where other women were spending around $1000 for their wedding dresses, mum would make the Wedding dress, all the bridesmaids dresses and the going away outfit, as well as the Page Boys outfits for less than $500.
#22
kennedy1209 4 years ago
My Dad was a civil engineer as well - But we got the cool stuff - He built transit systems. Got to test ride all of the trains before they were open. Go down and see the TBM's (tunnel boring machines) at work. freaking awesome.
Pumpkin Spice 4 years ago
why am i picturing cars dancing in a circle?! "ring around the rosy, a pocket full of posies..." *car crashes* "ashes, ashes... we all fall down" *everybody dies*
Jeff Christensen 4 years ago
It is said that military engineers build weapons while civil engineers build targets.
#23
Adam Hendron 4 years ago
... or good enamel or a water pick or good insurance or good hygiene
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Gregory King 4 years ago
before people take the adage of "fallen off the back of the truck" cadbury's used to sell mis weights in bags super cheap to staff and locals of longbridge.
Anna McHugh 4 years ago
Cadbury's Fudge. Only the best thing on earth. And I'm a bloody vegan.
#24
Suzanne Haigh 4 years ago
Probably because not everyone on here is American?
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k1ddkanuck 4 years ago (edited)
Same! On the flip side, I occasionally fact checked my teachers as a kid in class when I knew they were wrong (my favorite books were atlases and my mom's history textbooks), which didn't make some of them like me very much.
Ava Lasley 4 years ago
My Dad taught at a highschool and coached baseball so we grew up at the ball park and got whatever we wanted from the concession stands along with free admission and bringing friends
Uber Mensch 4 years ago
I'd wager that she learned way more than ONE new thing along the way.
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#26
#27
v 4 years ago
This one has too few upvotes. I think too many people see "train" and think BORING!. There's a reason that "handles like it's on rails" exists as a statement of appreciation. Other than that, I can only imagine what it must be like to actually be able to feel, in a very real way, the power of the engine. It must be awesome!
Philly Bob Squires 4 years ago
I've always wanted to drive a train. I've driven truck, car, boat, flew a plane... but no rail. :(
#28
Jamma 4 years ago
Sounds unhealthy...probably a bunch of leached chemicals in there.
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ZombieGeddon42 4 years ago
And after we took a dip in a nuclear reactor containment pool the following week
#29
Theater Kid 4 years ago
I cannot think of anything that would be less of a benefit. But whatever floats your boat, I guess.
J 4 years ago
Its highly beneficial to the cow as its a medical device for a medical problem. . From the kids point of view, its just cool! You might want to apologize to her just to be nice.
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POLARBEARLUVER 4 years ago (edited)
i got to touch a brain from my dads work ( with gloves on and had t wash my hands 10 times)
TheReader19 4 years ago
I don't know how I feel about this, was this necessary surgery or just experiments?
Alexandra Davis 4 years ago
Experiments and it still happens. The dairy industry are horrifically cruel
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Tahani 4 years ago
That is not normal, have seen it on tv too. If they lay on their side filth can get in, insects,... in the summer they have to be swarming with flies. I cannot understand how doing this is a good think or why this person saw that as a perk. I am revolted
James Pointer 4 years ago (edited)
They have a cork that goes in, the hole takes you to the Rumen, it's not left open when they aren't checking on the cow. The cows don't feel pain from it being put in because they are asleep for it and they live longer because they've had more care put into growth and diet. Which also allows them to produce less methane. The Rumen is the large stomach of the cow which has multiple sacs inside.
Load More Replies... #30
TheReader19 4 years ago (edited)
Major pen loved here, nothing better than free pens 😸
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Nathan Pogorzala 4 years ago
Skilcraft US Government pens will still write after the Armageddon. Best mass produced pen out there. I am not 3 feet from a box of 100 as i type this.
#32
Jeff Christensen 4 years ago
Definitely not Anglicans and probably not Episcopal - their rules provide that any remaining consecrated elements shall not be carried out of the church, but the celebrant shall "reverently consume them". But I could probably have guessed that from the use of the word "pastor" rather than "priest".
Allan Breum 4 years ago
Ryan, I really cannot stress this enough. I see you posting negative comments Everywhere around here. Now, I'm pretty damn acerbic myself, but you have me beat by severeal leagues. To put is bluntly; You're a d**k.
#33
#34
Nerdy Panda 4 years ago
HOW IS SEEING ANIMAL TESTING A BENEFIT?????????????????????????????????????????
M O'Connell 4 years ago
It was a different time, and being young they accepted what they were told about it. Also, considering there were monkeys smoking, this was probably a rather long time ago.
Load More Replies... TheReader19 4 years ago
Am I missing something, how on earth is see animal testing a perk; especially for cosmetics?
surprised pikachu 4 years ago
this was probably a different time. also, remember it was seen from the eyes of a child.
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Nicolai Stoff 4 years ago
So from an young age you were taught that animal abuse was OK? I won't call that a perk, I would call that a gateway to abuse and violence
Jeff Christensen 4 years ago
Either these were the days before Viagra or he was too young and innocent to ask.
Adrienne Jones 4 years ago
Obviously fake and just posted on here so people would get offended and comment. Anyone whose parent worked for Pfizer surely wouldn't be dumb enough to call it "Pfizer's" like they did here.
Alexandra Davis 4 years ago
That sounds horrific and if I knew my dad was part of the animal testing, he wouldn't be my dad for much longer.
#35
JennyLaRue 4 years ago
How entitled of you to put your dad in that position with his colleagues
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What do you think ?
Watching 4 years ago
Chief Wilma Mankiller of the Cherokee nation of Oklahoma was my mentor. Every year I took pictures of her with my children and she would sit them on her lap and tell them stories. They thought she was just another Indian lady, like us, that loved them very much. Now they're in their 20s and they still remember the days and now they know that she was the first female Chief of a major Indian tribe. She told them stories that will hold them for the rest of their lives. Miss you every day Wilma.
Coopè 4 years ago
My dad is a firefighter, so when I was little I got to climb around on fire trucks.
JennyLaRue 4 years ago
My dad was a milkman, whilst we never got milk free, he'd pick up all sorts that people were throwing out or had too much of when we were kids. Furniture, books, magazines, fabric, and all manner of fruit and vegetables from back gardens.
GoodWolf 4 years ago
I got to spend a lot of unsupervised time in a chocolate factory after the workers went home. And I was officially allowed to eat as much as I liked. Thanks, dad!
FearReaper 4 years ago
My mom is a teacher. She's really smart, and she has more karen stories then the internet.
Karolina Redford 4 years ago
My mum works as a Psychologist so we used to spend a lot of time discussing some of her cases (anonymously). She used to bring IQ tests home and I loved solving them. She took me to a training about Psychosis and I sat next to other clinicians which made me feel so important. I am a Psychologist now :)
Kristin Ingersoll 4 years ago
My dad used to have his students give us those IQ tests. We were three kids, three years apart. I took so many, that one day, a student ran over to my dad, "Dr Ingersoll!! Your daughter is a GENIUS!!!!" My dad just laughed. I mean, I **AM** but... I'd memorized the test. :D
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Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
Mom was a nurse. She'd answer any question about her day, show me her journals and textbooks, and I'd help her study for professional exams. Which was 1. cool and 2. helped me be okay about blood/etc. and 3. meant I went into medicine without any illusions about how it really is. Thanks, Mom!
Fluffy Griffin 4 years ago
My dad taught AutoCAD (Computer Aided Drafting) in the early 90s, and over the summer he was allowed to bring a computer home, so we were one of the first people I knew to have a computer at home. The first computer was a black and white Macintosh. Later years he would bring home old computers and I was able to use the parts to make myself a working computer. I loved how it gave me confidence to tinker with computers from a fairly young age.
Vicky Zar 4 years ago
And AutoCAD is still around. Funny how long lasting it is in this fast world
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Watching 4 years ago
Chief Wilma Mankiller of the Cherokee nation of Oklahoma was my mentor. Every year I took pictures of her with my children and she would sit them on her lap and tell them stories. They thought she was just another Indian lady, like us, that loved them very much. Now they're in their 20s and they still remember the days and now they know that she was the first female Chief of a major Indian tribe. She told them stories that will hold them for the rest of their lives. Miss you every day Wilma.
Coopè 4 years ago
My dad is a firefighter, so when I was little I got to climb around on fire trucks.
JennyLaRue 4 years ago
My dad was a milkman, whilst we never got milk free, he'd pick up all sorts that people were throwing out or had too much of when we were kids. Furniture, books, magazines, fabric, and all manner of fruit and vegetables from back gardens.
GoodWolf 4 years ago
I got to spend a lot of unsupervised time in a chocolate factory after the workers went home. And I was officially allowed to eat as much as I liked. Thanks, dad!
FearReaper 4 years ago
My mom is a teacher. She's really smart, and she has more karen stories then the internet.
Karolina Redford 4 years ago
My mum works as a Psychologist so we used to spend a lot of time discussing some of her cases (anonymously). She used to bring IQ tests home and I loved solving them. She took me to a training about Psychosis and I sat next to other clinicians which made me feel so important. I am a Psychologist now :)
Kristin Ingersoll 4 years ago
My dad used to have his students give us those IQ tests. We were three kids, three years apart. I took so many, that one day, a student ran over to my dad, "Dr Ingersoll!! Your daughter is a GENIUS!!!!" My dad just laughed. I mean, I **AM** but... I'd memorized the test. :D
Load More Replies... Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
Mom was a nurse. She'd answer any question about her day, show me her journals and textbooks, and I'd help her study for professional exams. Which was 1. cool and 2. helped me be okay about blood/etc. and 3. meant I went into medicine without any illusions about how it really is. Thanks, Mom!
Fluffy Griffin 4 years ago
My dad taught AutoCAD (Computer Aided Drafting) in the early 90s, and over the summer he was allowed to bring a computer home, so we were one of the first people I knew to have a computer at home. The first computer was a black and white Macintosh. Later years he would bring home old computers and I was able to use the parts to make myself a working computer. I loved how it gave me confidence to tinker with computers from a fairly young age.
Vicky Zar 4 years ago
And AutoCAD is still around. Funny how long lasting it is in this fast world
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