TikTokers are realizing their parents were “living room parents” or “bedroom parents,” and it’s led to some interesting revelations.

It’s also not the first time Gen Z has made startling revelations about their childhoods. Recently, TikTokers took to the app to examine their parents’ unique sleeping habits, such as parents who sleep in different bedrooms.

The revelation has parents and non-parents alike revisiting how they grew up and realizing that what they considered “normal” differed so widely from others.

What is a bedroom parent?

Influencer Marissa Kile (@maroo927) explained that a bedroom parent is one who spends time mostly in their bedroom, generally away from the kids.

Kids who grew up with bedroom parents stayed out of their parents’ bedrooms “because you respected their bedroom unless you were like, invited in,” noted Kile.

She explained that because both she and her best friend had bedroom parents, she thought that was just what parents did.

It wasn’t until someone commented on her original TikTok post that Kile said she realized that other parents grew up with “living room parents.”

What is a living room parent?

In contrast to a bedroom parent, Kile noted that a living room parent is one who hangs out with the kids in a shared space of the home — not tucked away in the bedroom.

She revealed that she considers herself to now be a living room parent, but the realization that other people had living room parents growing up has made her wonder about how her own upbringing has influenced her parenting style now.

“I’m wondering, is that the reason that I’m a living room parent now?” she questioned. “Because I don’t want to be like my parents who are bedroom parents? And do I need to go back to therapy?”

However, commenters on Kile’s videos assured her that there was a wide variety among the types of parents that exist, from garage parents to kitchen parents, and even variation among parental units.

“My dad is a living room parent and my mom is a bedroom parent,” noted @dannim48.

“That was my parents too – one downstairs and one up, always. Lol,” added @jessscash.

“My dad was a garage parent,” wrote @trisaibarra1.

“Where my kitchen parents at?” questioned @yo_itscoco16.

“I had a kitchen mom,” admitted @feliciaamber10.

“Mine were basement parents,” wrote @hexdarkwood.

“Anyone have office parent? They sat at the ole desk top alllll day,” asked @savannahmeyers84.

A little bit of both

Current parents also noted that while previous parental generations may have been strict about their physical boundaries in the home, modern parenting allows for a lot more flexibility.

For instance, @amandapoulton said she is a “living room parent until about 6pm lol.”

“I’m a both? Lol,” added @kelbskilla.

“We switch it up every couple months,” wrote @annahodson9.

And those parents who strictly identified as one type of parent were unapologetic about their preferences.

“I’m a bedroom parent. My bed is one of my favorite places on earth,” wrote @sweetmellissa_24.

“Living room parent so I can be closer to the snax,” admitted @poppyandbranch1.