Every generation has a few house rules that don’t make sense to the next one. Gen Z is no different. They grew up in a world that was always on, and it’s led them to dislike a few household rules that were normal for other generations. Here are 15 household rules that Gen Z thinks are completely irrational. Do any of these make sense to you?
No locking bedroom or bathroom doors
So many parents pulled out the door locks years ago for their child’s “safety.” But Gen Z thinks it’s weird. It’s not because they’re hiding anything, but rather that they spend half their lives on video calls, and they’d like to have a bit of privacy. They don’t want anyone barging in while they need some quiet space.
No guests if parents aren’t home
One old rule says that you can’t bring anyone over unless Mom or Dad’s physically there. The funny part is that most houses now have doorbell cameras and alarms. Every smartphone also has location services. Gen Z teens believe it’s overkill to ban guests when they just want to rehearse a group project or have a study buddy.
Shoes must come off at the door
Gen Z has rolled their eyes for many years about the rule stating that you have to take your shoes off at the door. They don’t mind taking off sneakers when it’s muddy out. However, they don’t understand why the rules have to be mandatory for everyone, all the time. They’d prefer an easy compromise. A rule like clean indoor shoes or a simple wipe-off mat would be better.
Everyone eats together at the dinner table every night
No, Gen Z isn’t exactly against family meals. The issue is that they don’t think it has to happen every night at six, especially after having evening classes and long shifts. Sitting down all together can feel forced. They’d rather eat together when everyone’s schedules match up normally, like weekends or holidays.
No dessert until you’ve finished your vegetables
Practically every Gen Z child has memories of staring at a cold dinner plate until bedtime, and the rule of no dessert before finishing vegetables is still rather common. Most Gen Zers think it just makes vegetables the enemy. Of course, they support balanced eating, but they don’t think that food should be treated like a punishment, and they’d rather eat what they want in portions that make sense.
No snacks between meals
Even between meals, a few families said you couldn’t eat. But Gen Z says it just doesn’t fit how people live now, as sometimes their schools run late or perhaps they just eat on weird schedules. They’re not snacking to try and be rebellious. No, they just get hungry, so while the rule made sense once, it doesn’t fly in 2025.
No talking back under any circumstances
Older parents love telling their kids not to talk back at all. But Gen Z? Not so much. They don’t see respectful disagreement as talking back, and when something doesn’t make sense, they’d like to explain it. They’re a generation that grew up in classrooms that encouraged dialogue. As such, they think it’s wrong to tell them they’re being disrespectful for responding to a question.
The lights go off at 10 PM sharp
Some homes still have a hard cutoff time, where everything needs to be dark by ten. No lamps or reading lights are allowed. However, Gen Z says it’s just not realistic because they have homework deadlines and late shifts to deal with, making early lights-out impossible. They’d rather agree on quiet hours or screen limits than a total blackout rule. They don’t think it’s fair.
No elbows on the table
Gen Z simply can’t understand why the rule about having no elbows on the table has survived for decades. In their eyes, leaning on the table doesn’t hurt anyone. But parents still call it rude. Gen Z sees it as a normal posture, especially given that bar seating and laptops are practically everywhere. They think the habit only matters in formal settings, not at breakfast before school.
Don’t use the good dishes unless it’s a holiday
It’s weird how almost every house appears to have a cabinet full of fancy plates nobody touches. Gen Z certainly finds the rule strange. They don’t understand why anyone would bother to own nice things if nobody uses them. They’d much prefer to eat spaghetti on the fancy ones than save them for a day that may never actually come.
Bed must be made every morning
There are quite a few parents who continue to treat making the bed like a moral duty. Not Gen Z, though. They’ll straighten the blanket and fix the pillow, yes. But that’s about it. They think spending time tucking corners is pointless, especially when they’re rushing for the bus or clocking in early. Really, they see a bed as just a bed. As long as it’s clean, that’s good enough.
No washing clothes unless it’s a “full load”
So many older generations swear by the rule that you can’t wash clothes unless it’s a full load, supposedly to save water. Of course, Gen Zers are big on helping Mother Nature. Yet they recognize that modern machines now use sensors and shorter cycles, so doing one small wash isn’t the end of the world. Waiting until the pile is “worth” washing sounds silly to them.
No heating or air-conditioning until a set date
You’ll find that a few families still adjust the thermostat based on the calendar, not the actual weather. They might refuse to turn on the heating before September, for example, or the AC before June. Gen Z can’t stand it. When it’s 85° in May, they’re tired of feeling like they’re melting. They’d rather adjust when it’s uncomfortable than prove how tough they are.
No phone calls during dinner
It’s still quite normal to have a strict no-phone rule at the table at dinner. And sure, Gen Z says that’s fine when the rule prevents people from scrolling. But it’s not so useful when the call’s important. They’re happy to mute their phones or step out for a second because they feel that it’s unrealistic to act like the outside world stops existing for twenty minutes.
Always answer with “yes, sir/yes, ma’am,” never “yeah”
Old-school politeness rules are still relatively common. They drive Gen Z nuts. Rather than trying to be rude, this generation simply talks differently, and they believe forcing “sir” and “ma’am” into every sentence is fake. They think tone shows more respect. A rehearsed phrase? It’s just not for them.
17 Things Gen Z Gets Wrong About ‘Adulting’
Yes, we agree that they’re super well-versed in memes, side hustles, and iced coffee drinks, but when it comes to the actual business of being a grown-up? Let’s just say it is a little shaky. These are the everyday adulting things Gen Z keeps getting wrong, and they might need a quick reality check.
17 Things Gen Z Gets Wrong About ‘Adulting’