Be wary of the company you keep, kids…

Yes, I know it sounds like a ridiculous cliché, but it’s totally true.

I saw more than a couple of people I knew growing up fall in with the wrong crowd and get in some serious trouble in their lives…and one who actually passed away because of the bad choices he made and the sketchy folks he associated with.

So listen to your parents when they tell you to choose your friends wisely.

And check out life advice for teenagers offered up by these folks on AskReddit.

1. True.

“Brush your teeth.

They may seem fine for a while but it’ll catch up to you fast.”

2. Enjoy it.

“The coolest thing you can do is stop trying to be cool.

Don’t take yourself so seriously, let yourself be young.”

3. Yes!

“Learn to cook.

As an adult no one prepared me for the fact I would have to decide what to eat and prepare it for every meal for the rest of my life.

Your options widen when you know how to cook.”

4. Do it!

“Invest in you.

Not in someone else.”

5. Find the good ones.

“Figure out who your good friends are and try to keep in contact.

I’ve caught onto this recently and have cut off s**tty people i was around for years and finding new friends was just a case of getting closer to the people who are good for me.

I’ve made a nice change already just in the past 2/3 months.”

6. Always.

“Stand up to b**lies.

Even if you’re not the one being picked on. I regret not doing more for kids that really struggled in school.

Reading Reddit posts made me realize how terrible school can be when you’re alone or b**lied.”

7. Good one.

“Say no to peer pressure but say yes to more experiences.

The experiences you enjoy most in life may not be the stereotypical things people expect – but they won’t happen on their own!

And you can’t take back the words you never said.”

8. Don’t be afraid.

“Don’t be afraid of rejection. Take it in stride and keep on trying.

Don’t be like me and intentionally emotionally cripple yourself for life.”

9. Protect those ears.

“If you’re going to go to a lot of concerts, wear ear protection.

You’ll be able to enjoy a lot more shows a lot later in life…”

10. Just a blip in time.

“Remember that “right now” is not forever.

The teenage years are just one small chapter in the book of your life!”

11. Words to live by.

“Being a well-rounded person includes maintenance of your body and it’s great for your mental health. Dive in to sports and exercise.

If you’re big into sports already dive into imagination and try new games and hobbies. Don’t “choose a side” thinking it’s jocks vs nerds.”

12. The difference.

“Learn to understand the difference between being nice and being kind.

For girls especially, don’t fall into the trap of Being Nice because you’re worried about how you’ll be perceived by other people. Being ‘nice’ is often performative and requires you to ignore your true wants, needs, feelings, and/or boundaries in service of pleasing other people. It’s a surface-level façade, and you can get really stuck in it because everything is easier when you’re Nice and Polite and Agreeable all the time.

Being kind, on the other hand, usually involves some level of honesty and authenticity. People generally choose to be kind because they want to be, and because they think the other person deserves it. While you might think of kindness in terms of being helpful, charitable, friendly, whatever, it’s important to understand that you can also disagree with someone, say no, and set boundaries with kindness, in a way that isn’t possible when you’re Being Nice.

Kindness and Niceness are often both deliberate choices, but you will more often regret being nice than you will ever regret being kind.”

Do you have some good life advice for teens?

Let us know in the comments.

Thanks a lot!